The Parson's Wife
by phantomballerina
Summary: Charlotte marries the Reverend Mr. Collins out of economic reasons, but finds new purpose for her life as the wife of a parson. However, her husband's infatuation with her evaporates when she decides to champion a cause that creates scandal in the community. Set within the time-frame of the novel, we take a look at Mr. & Mrs. Collins' story from their perspectives.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _Charlotte_

The grand ballroom at Netherfield was already filling with guests when I arrived. I wore my best white frock, with a wreath of yellow and white flowers in my hair. I milled around, sipping some punch, until I saw the Bennett family arrive. My best friend immediately went to me and pulled me aside. I hadn't seen Elizabeth all week, due to the fact that her family was entertaining company, and thus we were quite eager to speak with each other.

"My dear Lizzy", I said, embracing her, "how have you been?"

"I'm afraid I am set for a most dreadful evening ahead." Elizabeth replied.

"Gracious! Do tell. Why must you be so downcast on such a merry occasion?"

"I had my heart set on dancing the night away with a certain handsome gentleman, but now that prospect has withered on the vine."

I was intrigued. "Could this certain gentleman be our friend Mr. Darcy?" I asked.

"No! His polar opposite, in fact, his enemy, one might say. I have become acquainted this week with a charming lieutenant, a Mr. Wickham, who is stationed here with the militia. He is handsome, genteel, humble, and good-natured."

"And why do you call him Mr. Darcy's enemy? Has he done something to offend the gentleman?" I inquired.

"Rather the reverse. Oh, you won't believe what Mr. Darcy has done to poor Mr. Wickham!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She continued to relate to me of Mr. Wickham's deferred inheritance at the hand of Mr. Darcy and his denial of the Derbyshire parish rectory that had been left to him.

"I am astonished! But are you certain of your facts? From whom did you learn of all this?"

"From Mr. Wickham himself."

"Quite dreadful. One would not think Mr. Darcy to be capable of such a thing. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding. But of your Wickham- you must introduce me to this man that has captured your special interest all of a sudden!" I insisted.

"I wish I could, dear Charlotte, but it seems that on account of Mr. Darcy's presence here tonight Mr. Wickham did not feel welcome in joining our party. I was so hoping to engage him on the dance floor, but I shall not be able to, and now my first two dances have been promised to my cousin Mr. Collins" Elizabeth said, exasperated.

"Ah, yes, the visiting cousin. How is he?"

"Well let's see..." she paused, "obnoxious, overly-talkative, dull, ugly, always trying to use flattery to get on someone's good side."

"A real sycophant," I supplied.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, exactly" She sighed. "He's been here a mere few days and I am already sick to death of his company. I am not sure I can stand to be his companion for even one entire evening, let alone have to suffer his presence for any great length of time."

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"There." Elizabeth pointed to the man standing next to her mother engaged in conversation with the Mr. & Mrs. Parks. I noticed he was just below the average when it came to height, not unlike myself. His hair, though not fashionably cut, was tidy, and his sideburns not overly long. He was dressed in a simple black waistcoat with a white ruffled cravat.

"He does not appear to be so bad." I mused.

"Oh, but you haven't had to listen to an entire evening of him reading _Fordyce's Sermons_ until we all nearly fell asleep by the fireside." She laughed. "Please my friend, I beg you, after the first two dances are up, come rescue me. Keep him entertained for awhile, that I might have a respite from his antics for at least part of the evening."

"It shall be my pleasure." I replied.

 _William_

Almost from the moment I arrived at Longbourn, my attentions had been fixed onto my cousin, Miss Elizabeth. I had come to Hertfordshire for the express purpose of selecting a wife, largely at the suggestion of my esteemed patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and determined that I ought to select such from among my cousins. For since I am to inherit the estate one day upon their father's death, I might spare their family from inevitable loss, and ensure that Mrs. Bennett and any of her unmarried daughters might always have a home with us if they wish.

Cousin Elizabeth, though not as beautiful as her elder sister Jane, possessed such warmth of spirit, such energy, rapier wit, and pleasant demeanor, that I was immediately attracted to her. When Mrs. Bennett relieved me of my duty to assist her eldest daughter in securing a match-for daughters are expected to marry in order of age and it would be unseemly to pursue the younger while the elder is still unmarried- by assuring me that Miss Bennett was very soon to be engaged, I could then turn my full attention to Miss Elizabeth. Thus, after the past few days' acquaintanceship, I became convinced that I was falling in love. For amongst all her wonderful qualities, my dear cousin is certainly not unpleasant to look at; in fact, one might say her charm and wit make her appear even more comely than her sister, a 'Helen of Troy', though Jane be.

The Bennett's had been invited to a ball held by one of the neighbors, a Mr. Netherfield of Bingley Hall… or something to that effect. At any rate, I gathered from what I overheard from my younger cousins that this was the man whom Cousin Jane hoped to wed. This event gave me the perfect opportunity to impress Cousin Elizabeth, and I intended to keep close to her for the entire evening. I congratulated myself on already securing her promise for the first two dances upon our arrival.

For the moment, she had slipped away to greet her friend on the other side of the ballroom, and though it was too crowded for me to follow her, I was able to observe her animated demeanor as I felt my heart skip. I was forced to look away when Mr. Bennett introduced me to some friend of theirs, and then before I knew it, we were all ushered into the dining room for the meal.

"Miss Elizabeth, might I have the pleasure of being your dinner companion this evening?" I asked as my family found their seats at the long table.

"I, I…" she stammered, "I've already promised Jane that I should sit by her." Elizabeth managed to finish.

"But of course," I replied, "you must sit by her on one side. But please, allow me to sit on your other side. For it is my desire to be your escort and companion tonight." I boldly declared. Perhaps Elizabeth felt overwhelmed by my pursuit, and the rapidity of our growing affection, for she smiled shyly as she sank into the seat between Jane and myself. As the wine was poured, she looked down into her lap, and I swore I saw a blush creep across her face, though she tried her best to hide it.

 _Charlotte_

Poor Elizabeth looked so uncomfortable all throughout dinner as I watched her from the other end of the table. I wondered if her cousin was really as horrible as she had described. She had made him out to be an over-talkative flatterer and a real bore, but if the man's only crimes were that he rambled on about his favorite topics and tried a bit too hard to please everyone, then I saw it as being a bit trivial. His face was not unpleasant, I thought, and he was quite attentive to Elizabeth, I observed. If he meant to make her an offer and secure her family's future, she would do well to accept him. Nevertheless, when we moved to the ballroom for dancing, I kept my word and approached them just as the second dance was winding down.

Tired from the brisk jig, Mr. Collins was a little out of breath, but he greeted me warmly when Elizabeth introduced us.

"Naturally, I am delighted to make the acquaintanceship of any friend of my fair cousin". He smiled with a bow. "Miss Lucas, it would be my great pleasure if you might be my partner for the next dance".

" _Thank you",_ Elizabeth mouthed as I stepped onto the dance floor with Mr. Collins, and she made her escape to another room of the house.

"Are you enjoying your stay in Hertfordshire, Mr. Collins?" I asked.

"Oh, immensely. I cannot bear to think how sad I shall be to leave. I am quite enjoying the chance to get to know my cousins better and to become acquainted with their neighbors." He replied.

"Yes, the Bennett's are wonderful, especially Lizzy. I think of her as my best friend, and her family is like a second family to me."

"How excellent for you to have such friends". Mr. Collins remarked.

The dance continued on, and when it was through, seeing as Elizabeth was still absent, Mr. Collins asked me to dance a second. I obliged him. Following that, I excused myself to go find Lizzy.

"How was he to you?" Lizzy asked, a bit worried for my sake.

"Pleasant, and not unduly talkative, as you suggested, though he did go on for a bit about a certain 'Lady Catherine'-"

"-DeBourgh". Elizabeth finished. "His patroness. He worships her", she rolled her eyes.

"So I gathered. Apparently, she has done a great deal to elevate his status in society and provide him with a generous living upon his graduation from seminary. I daresay he will make a respectable provider for someone." I said.

Lizzy seemed aghast. "I hope you're not referring to me!"

I simply shrugged and grinned. "Perhaps you have someone wealthier in your sights already!"

"Or at least more romantic!" Lizzy's eyes sparkled as we both laughed.

Just then, Mr. Darcy appeared in front of us. To each, he politely bowed, then to Elizabeth, he inquired if she might join him in the next minuet. Elizabeth nodded numbly as she agreed.

Lizzy's face was flushed as she pulled me into the dark, unused room next to us.

"Did I just agree to dance with Mr. Darcy?" She asked in disbelief. I, for one, was pleased for her sake.

"I daresay you will find him amiable".

"It would be most inconvenient, since I have sworn to loathe him for all eternity!" she half-laughed, half-cried at her own irony, and I laughed with her.

As Elizabeth was engaged for the next dance, I distracted Mr. Collins by the punch bowl. While he rambled on about the fine quality of the punch, how it was alright for a clergyman to indulge in a little innocent refreshment (I don't think he realized how much alcohol was actually in it; the militia kept sneaking past and dumping more in!),and how Lady Catherine preferred to serve only wine at her parties, except for her daughter's birthday, since Lady Anne favored punch, etc, etc, I took the chance to glance over his shoulder at Lizzy and Darcy. They seemed to be deeply engrossed in each other, almost as if they were the only ones dancing in the ballroom. Although I could tell Elizabeth still bore an icy countenance towards him, I wondered how long Darcy could contain his passion for her. It was clear, at least, that he had eyes for no one else in the room.

I thought to myself then that maybe Elizabeth wouldn't have to settle for marrying her cousin. Perhaps, having caught the attention of this illustrious gentleman, she may find herself in better fortunes even than her elder sister, who at present was clearly enjoying the favor of one Charles Bingley, our evening's host.

With that in mind, it dawned on me that I might assist my friend in drawing her unwelcome suitor away from her, by encouraging him towards myself. Mr. Collins, in my estimation, was tolerable, plain, but certainly not ugly, and reasonably well-off enough to support a wife and any children they might have.

Additionally, I knew through Elizabeth that he would one day inherit their estate upon her father's death. Naturally, I would not seek to displace my dear friends from their home, but I felt certain Mr. Collins could be persuaded on this point. Mrs. Bennett need not move from her home right away after her husband dies; she could possibly even live out the rest of her days there, or stay until such time as she might choose to move in with one of her married daughters. Especially if things went well for her two eldests' current courtships, they would have plenty of room for her if she wanted to vacate Longbourn. At any rate, someday Mr. Collins would be living there, a mere walking distance from my family's home. Such a situation sounded ideal to me.

"... Do you not think so, Miss Lucas?" Mr. Collin's question broke my reverie. I blushed, "you must forgive me, I was lost in thought watching the dancers. Do repeat your question, sir."

"Are these crab puffs not the most excellent you have ever sampled?" He then bit again into the hors d'oeuvre we had both been handed by the server moments before while I was daydreaming.

"Ah, yes," I also bit. Once I swallowed, "they are quite delicious."

"I have only samples better ones once before, at a party thrown by Lady Catherine. Do you know, she employs a famous chef from Paris?..." He continued to converse, only expecting minimal replies from me.

Well, if this is what my life might be like, I'd better get used to this sort of conversation, I thought.

 _William_

I must have stood in pleasant conversation with Miss Lucas for at least twenty minutes or so, when it occurred to me that my fair cousin was not by my side. I then excused myself to find her. For the remainder of the evening I kept my promise to remain by her side. We did not dance any more, since Cousin Elizabeth complained her feet were tired, but I saw a bench and suggested we sit for a spell. I conversed a while with her at length, until she confessed to needing the necessary room and left to find it. Afterwards, I could not seem to find her until it was nearly time for our party to leave the event. Altogether, though, I congratulated myself on not only being able to spend a considerable portion of the evening with Elizabeth, but also on making a good impression with Miss Lucas. For it is well-known that if one can procure the good favor of a lady's bosom friend, then said friend is likely to give a good recommendation on one's behalf to the lady one is pursuing.

My cousins were all so tired on the return home that Elizabeth and Jane fell asleep on Mary's shoulder, and Mary looked as though she may also nod off at any time. Only Kitty and Lydia were still talking animatedly about their adventure, though in more hushed tones than at the party. I myself, sitting on their side of the carriage, was forced to squeeze as far as I could to the outer edge, but it gave me time to look out the side into the dark open countryside and think to myself.

Time was running out during my visit, I realized. I had already been in Hertfordshire over a week, and would be returning to Kent on Saturday. With only three full days left, I realized I needed to be bolder if I had any hope of securing Cousin Elizabeth's affections before my departure. I mused to myself that perhaps I ought to ask to take Elizabeth on a carriage ride, perhaps with Jane or another of her sisters along to chaperone, so that we might picnic in the countryside tomorrow. Then I recalled her having mentioned that Miss Lucas was invited to come over all day from mid-morning onwards. Perhaps she might chaperone. Then again, if I let the two ladies have some time to themselves, it may give Miss Lucas a chance to further recommend me. This sort of thinking went on for a bit, as I devised ways in which I might accelerate the process of courting Miss Elizabeth. By the time we reached Longbourn, my resolution was clear. I would request her audience first thing in the morn, even prior to breakfast, and make my declaration and offer of marriage to her.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you so much to all who read my story and reviewed! I appreciate your heartfelt comments. As a note, the world my story is set in is a hybrid of the book and the 2005 movie, thus you'll find many places where I quote from one source or the other for a particular scene. In a few places where there are jarring contradictions, I have written my own scenario to blend the two versions. :-)

Chapter 2

 _Charlotte_

I was met by quite a confusion upon my arrival at Lizzy's house the next morning. Lydia answered the door. "I am glad you are come, for there is such fun here! What do you think has happened this morning? Mr. Collins has made an offer to Lizzy, and she will not have him."

I was stunned. An offer of marriage already? What's more, for her to refuse him? After her dance with Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth had assured me that she was still adamant that he was much too proud, conceited, and cold-hearted for her to ever accept him. Could she really be so foolish, then, as to turn down another man's offer, if she was determined to spurn Darcy? But this was Elizabeth, after all, always thinking with her heart and not her head.

After being bombarded by Mrs. Bennet on the same news, who continued on even long after Lizzy and Jane's entrance, Mr. Collins finally arrived on the scene. It was no secret that he was giving Lizzy the cold shoulder after her rejection of him; he scarcely said two words to her it seemed. Lizzy, however, was not moved by his display in the least.

"I'll be obliged if you could distract Mr. Collins from the matter at hand by your conversation." Was her request.

This fit nicely with my own plans, for I still deemed that someone or other ought to have Mr. Collins if he was so determined to to take a wife, and it might as well be me, if he would have me. I saw myself as having about as good a chance at happiness with Mr. Collins as with any other decent fellow who wasn't a drunk, gambler, or wife-beater- it seemed highly unlikely that this man of the cloth would turn out to be one of those! So, I seated myself on the cushion next to him and opened my mouth.

"How pleasant to see you again so soon, Mr. Collins." I greeted.

"Likewise," replied he, but without his usual charm.

"The ball last night was quite an affair, was it not?"

"Hmph, a rather lackluster event, from my experience" His sour mood could only be stemming from the morning's turn.

Bracing myself, I dared venture into what I knew was one of his favorite subjects.

"Does Lady Catherine throw a great many parties?"

All of a sudden, his face lit up.

"Not overly many, perhaps four or five a year. But those she does give are always the most excellent! She always invites all the landed gentry around Kent, plus a few dear friends from London. Lastly, I have been so fortunate to have her condescend to inviting me on a number of occasions, though I am but a humble rector."

"How excellent for your social prospects, to have such connections," I remarked.

"Indeed. Her introductions have allowed me to build a good standing in our community, and bring many wealthy parishioners into my fold."

"Your Lady Catherine is quite magnanimous then".

"To be certain!" He beamed. His countenance was so altered by my estimation, that I could tell I had won a major boon by praising his idol.

I spent the rest of the day currying his favor and keeping him occupied. I found it easy to procure his good opinion. I had only to mention Lady Catherine or Fordyce's Sermons periodically to make him feel that I valued his interests and feelings, and I could talk about whatever I wished the rest of the time. I could only hope I had enough time during the remaining days for him to develop some feeling towards me. For without that, he was unlikely to return to Hertfordshire anytime soon, given the current state of his relationships with his kin.

 _William_

I had put my heart on the line for Elizabeth, but could not have been more surprised by her response. For a young woman of twenty, with no other serious prospects known, to refuse an offer of marriage from any respectable man, especially one who could enable her family to keep their house, was unheard of! What's more, I couldn't believe I had so misread her. I mistook my cousin for merely being shy and genteel. If she disliked me, she should have rebuked my advances early on, I thought, indignant. How dare she lead me on!

I was still fuming when Miss Lucas arrived. Her presence was a welcome change from the Bennet's, who I had grown sick of at present. Elizabeth even had the nerve to ask if I still planned on staying till Saturday; was she so eager to get rid of me? To spite her, I replied that my plans remained unaltered on that account.

Miss Lucas provided the perfect distraction from my problems. Her manner was friendly and engaging, and I enjoyed conversing with her immensely. We played chess, at which she had me sorely beat, we took a walk through the pasture, and she allowed me to read to her for an hour or so from Fordyce's Sermons. I scarcely had to even look at Cousin Elizabeth the rest of the day, except at mealtimes. I was a bit sad at the end of the day when Miss Lucas had to return to the lodge. After her departure, I retired to my room to catch up on my reading and to prepare for Sunday's sermon. For though Lady Catherine gave me leave to defer this week's message to a deacon as well, on account of my returning only Saturday night, I declined, preferring not to sit in a pew in my own church to listen to someone else preach.

The following evening our whole household was to go to Lucas Lodge. I contemplated remaining behind to enjoy the solitude, but the prospect of spending more time with Miss Lucas proved too tempting. So, I too donned my hat and entered the carriage to pay our neighbors a visit.

Lady and Sir William Lucas curtsied and shook my hand. Though I had only met them the day before yesterday, they assured me that any friend or relation of the Bennet's was always welcome in their home.

There was still time before dinner, so one of the younger girls suggested we take a walk, for the Lucas's had a lovely little garden, and a trail leading off behind through the woods.

Mary stayed behind with her parents to read a book she's brought, and Kitty and Lydia clung together with the younger Lucas daughters in a giddy tromp across the footpath. With Elizabeth and I avoiding each other still, that left her to accompany Jane, and me to walk beside Miss Lucas.

The late November air was crisp and cool. I thought I saw Miss Lucas shiver in the wind.

"Are you cold, Miss Lucas?" I asked

"I'm alright. Just wondering if we might get our first snow of the season soon."

I glanced up at the clouds overhead. "We may yet see snow before I leave."

"Hertfordshire looks so beautiful in the snow. This dull countryside transforms into a winter wonderland once the trees and fields are frosted in white", Miss Lucas said.

"If only I weren't leaving so soon, I could be assured of seeing such a lovely sight". I remarked.

"Is there any chance of your returning to these parts before the winter is over?" She asked.

"As my business with the Bennets is concluded for the present, I have no reason to return anytime in the near future." I was surprised to see Miss Lucas looked disappointed at my response, and I did not quite know how to respond.

We walked in silence for a few paces. In the amber sunset's rays, Miss Lucas's face appeared rosy and glowing. I thought she seemed rather comely. She sported a burgundy wool cape over her grey dress, and her bonnet bore burgundy silk flowers.

I hadn't given much thought to her appearance before. She cut a womanly figure, more shapely than the rail-thin Bennet sisters, and her face, though not as youthful as theirs, was softly sweet and mellow. Her eyes lit up when she smiled or laughed. Yes, I thought, I could even call her beautiful.

"I do love being outdoors". Her comment broke my brief reverie.

"I do as well". I returned. "In fact, I have a small garden on my rectory which I love to tend in my spare time. My roses are my favorite; their color and sweet scent is only rivaled by those of Lady Catherine's gardener". Realizing I had just bragged a little, I blushed, and countered myself.

"That said, I have a terrible time with squashes, and my geraniums always wither- they are so temperamental."

"I wouldn't know a thing about them. I'm afraid I have no experience with gardening. I just like to enjoy flowers and nature." She said.

By this time, we had circled the loop back to the house. The others had already gone inside for dinner. I offered my hand to her to help her up the back steps. As we ascended, I paused suddenly and turned causing her to step closer to me to keep her balance. Our sudden nearness made my heart pound. "Miss Lucas?

"Yes?" She looked up into my eyes. For a moment, I almost decided to kiss her, then decided to be prudent.

"I enjoyed our walk immensely". I finally said.

"Likewise," she replied before we entered the house.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. To my fortune, I was seated beside Miss Lucas, and Cousin Elizabeth at the far end of the table from me. Lady Lucas sat at the foot of the table to my right. Lady Lucas must have sensed the change in the wind that had occurred, for she was doing everything in her power to recommend her eldest daughter's finer qualities. Miss Lucas had indeed captured my special attention. But I was afraid. I had been fooled once already in the same week into thinking that my feelings were shared. I did not want to make the same mistake again. I had known Miss Lucas only two full days. Was I being rash in thinking she might have feelings for me already? At any rate, I was running out of time; I was due in the pulpit back in Kent on Sunday.

I began to consider my options: I could try to return to Hertfordshire sometime in the near future, though a return visit too soon might be hard to manage with my parish obligations. I could wait until some business allowed me to return, though the likelihood of that was rare and may be far in the future, and Miss Lucas may by then have found another suitor. Or I could risk a second humiliating rejection.

Two proposals in a week? Collins, you're a fool. I thought to myself. Yet the thought in my mind remained, I had come to Hertfordshire in search of a wife. It would be wonderful not to go home empty-handed. Such contemplation would keep me awake long into the night.

 _Charlotte_

Mr. Collin's attention to me was so marked during his visit to my home, it was a wonder Elizabeth did not question me on it. Rather, I think she was so relieved at not having to spend any time with Mr. Collins, she never suspected there might be something more between myself and he. By the time Mr. Collins left that evening, I was almost certain that he had formed an attachment to me. My only concern was his imminent departure. I feared that our connection was not yet strong enough to bear consequence on his actions. With him set to leave before dawn on the morrow, I needed to do something drastic.

My conscience troubled me though. Should I really be going after a man in this fashion? I awoke Friday morning after a restless night's sleep. It was early; no one else in the house was awake, except perhaps some servants downstairs. I dressed myself and donned a shawl before climbing the stairs to my favorite spot in the house, a window-seat nook on the top floor near the entrance to the attic. It was always quiet up there. My siblings never cared for the nook, preferring to read in their bedrooms, the library, or the garden. But for years now, it had been my secret place of solitude, for reading, thinking to myself, or praying. The last is what I needed most now.

"Lord, I'm so confused", I prayed softly. "For so many years I have wanted and prayed for a husband, and have been denied. Now an opportunity is at my fingertips- I have only to reach a little further and it will be in my grasp. But is this what You want for me, Dear God?" I sighed. "I want your will for my life. If having Mr. Collins is in your plan for me, then give me a sign, Lord. Show me that this is the path I'm meant to take."

The Lord surely heard my prayer and answered me. As I looked out the window, a tiny black speck appeared on the horizon, moving down the lane. It was Mr. Collins! He wore his usual black outfit topped with a black cape and hat, and he was walking straight towards my house. In my heart, I knew there could only be one reason he had stolen away from the Bennet's house at so early an hour- to see me!

I hastily thanked the Lord and raced down the stairs. Grabbing my cloak, I stealthily went through the front door, hoping none of the servants spotted me. My heart pounded. Sneaking out to see a man, even a man like Mr. Collins, was a thrilling thought!

As we approached, I tried to come up with some excuse to make it appear as though we just stumbled upon one another in the lane.

"Why Mr. Collins, good morning! I am just on my way to-"

"Miss Lucas, I can bear it no longer!" He interrupted and dropped to one knee. "I have come with the express design of telling you one thing: I am convinced that you are without a doubt the exact sort of woman I have been searching for. Your kindness and gentility, industriousness, charm, and beauty are as equal to any great lady's. I could not hope for a more suitable wife were I to search the whole country. I never imagined that my feelings could so quickly be changed, but our brief time together has made me realize that one does not need a great length to develop a favorable attachment to another. And now, I only ask that you do me the honor of becoming my wife." He finished, a little out of breath.

I was a little stunned. This was exactly what I had hoped for, but I did not think it possible in so short a time. I had been convinced that at best, he might make me an offer of courtship which we could continue long-distance and whenever visits permitted. But this! Surely God was smiling on me now, to save me from spinsterhood and deliver to me exactly my request.

My hesitation must have worried him, for his face dropped. "Oh dear, have I misjudged again? Oh, I am a fool indeed…" he looked away, his expression riddled with panic.

"You are no fool, Mr. Collins," I let out a deep breath. "I accept your offer".

He looked back, surprised. "You do? I mean, that's wonderful!" He immediately stood up and quickly hugged me. Holding my hands, he continued. "You have made me so happy, my dear. I cannot think how pleased Lady Catherine will be when I tell her of your many virtues, and what a sensible wife you shall be. How delighted she will be that I have succeeded in my mission in coming to Hertfordshire to select a wife. And you shall be mistress of such a wonderful home. I don't believe I have described my parsonage in Kent to you yet." He went on to give me lavish details of his home, all the lands he owned as part of the church rectory, and all the benefits that I would receive as the parson's wife. By the time he finished, we were back at my family's home.

"You have but to ask my father's consent," I reminded him, "but I am sure he will approve of your asking my hand." I assured.

"Miss Lucas, I wondered…"

"Yes?"

"Could we be permitted now to use each other's Christian names?" He asked.

"Yes, I think so. You may call me 'Charlotte'. By what given name do you prefer?"

"'William'". He answered.

My parents were overjoyed. My mother immediately began talking about wedding plans, and my father congratulated his future son-in-law on his becoming a part of our family. My fiance was invited to join us for breakfast and to stay as long as he wished. He ended up staying the entire day, only returning to Longbourn just before dinner.

William was emotional when he bid me goodnight. "Charlotte, my dear, I am afraid I will not see you again tomorrow. For I must leave before first light to catch the early stagecoach. But I bid you well, and know that I shall return to you again at the very soonest that I am permitted to. I cannot think how I shall bear our separation, but I beg you shall write to me at your leisure."

"I shall." I promised. He turned to leave, but I caught his hand.

"I have one request," I began.

"Anything, dearest".

"I wish to convey the news of our engagement to Elizabeth myself. I fear it may come rather as a shock to her. So please, say nothing of our plans to her when you return. I assure you I will make our news known as speedily as possible."

He chuckled. "It will be hard for me to keep such good news a secret from my relations, but rest assured, beloved, I will honor your request".

He gave me a quick peck on the cheek, then departed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _Charlotte_

Lizzy's reaction to my engagement was much as I expected. Nevertheless, my anger flared a little at how ridiculous she thought me for entering into such a situation. Mr. Collins was not a bad man! I censured her for her thoughts and sought to explain myself. "I am not a romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and, considering Mr. Collins's character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state." This quieted Elizabeth temporarily. I hoped Elizabeth could recognize my situation, and my need to do this to better my own life. At twenty-seven years old, I was already a burden to my parents, with no money and no prospects. For me, Mr. Collins might be my only chance at a suitable match, and I was not about to throw that away. Life as an old maid was not ideal; I would always be dependent on my parents or brothers unless I could secure work as a governess- the only respectable profession for a single woman of my status.

Things were still tense between us when I left Lizzy's house. I returned home and gave my father permission to pay call to the Bennets to formally announce my engagement. I was certain that the rest of the family's reaction would be even worse than Elizabeth's, and I for one did not want to be there when Mrs. Bennet heard the news.

My father's report confirmed my beliefs. He hinted at their bad manners upon receiving the news, and mentioned that he was surprised to learn Mr. Collins had previously made an offer to Elizabeth. I quickly assured him that while this was true, that it in no way impacted my relationship with Mr. Collins, and thanked him for making the announcement to our neighbors.

I was not surprised that the Bennets were absent from church the following day. Mrs. Bennet probably feared Lady Lucas' bragging about her daughter's marriage, and wished to delay having to endure such for as long as possible. No doubt my mother would pay her a visit in the near future to do just that, but for now, she was content to mention my engagement to all our family friends in the congregation.

I felt a sense of pride and distinction at being an engaged woman. No longer was I looked upon as 'past my prime' by our acquaintances, and my upcoming nuptials gave me a new topic to discourse with my friends, for they all wanted to hear about my fiance and my plans. I was pleased, for the present.

 _William_

Lady Catherine invited me for Sunday lunch following the service, and it provided me with the perfect opportunity to announce my good news. She received it with all the approbation that I had anticipated, and heartily congratulated me on my good fortune. I then took the chance to beg leave to return to Hertfordshire, that I might spend more time with my bride-to-be and her family prior to the wedding, which I hoped would take place as expediently as was reasonable and fitting. She agreed, granting me six days' absence from my clerical duties starting in a fortnight. As dismayed as I was at the prospect of waiting a full two weeks to see my dear Charlotte again, I readily accepted her generous offer. Before bed that evening, I wrote to Charlotte to inform her of all this. My heart was overflowing with excitement as I fashioned some beautiful compliments to include.

 _My dearest beloved Charlotte,_

 _You are like a delicate flower blossoming in May. Your face is like my rose petals, soft to the touch. How I cannot wait to press my hand against your fair cheek! You are more beautiful than all the flowers in my garden, and your scent intoxicates me more than their perfume. How I long to be by your side, for my love for you is in full bloom._

 _My esteemed patroness has granted me leave to return to you two weeks from now. How I shall endure such waiting, I do not know! Only my parish duties will be able to keep me from being sick with love from missing you. I expect I shall arrive to Longbourn the evening of Monday, December the sixteenth, but I fear my arrival may be too late to pay call to your family. Alas! That we should have to wait another day to see one another! Nevertheless, I have some business to attend to in London on my way up from Kent which may delay me until such late hour._

 _Oh, my darling! I pray that you might soon name the day when you are to make me the happiest of men! Have your parents yet gone to the minister in your local parish, that the marriage announcement may be published? For if the announcement is read by next week, though a Christmas wedding may be too soon, we may yet hope for a wedding upon the New Year; it falling after the three-week minimum for the requirements of the church. I myself have already published the announcement to my own parish, being so eager to remove any obstacle to our being wed. Do not make me wait overly long to become your husband, for I long to have you established at Hunsford Parsonage as my wife!_

 _Yours truly with all my devotion,_

 _William Collins_

Satisfied with the contents of my letter, I folded it carefully and placed my seal upon it. I would send it out first thing in the morning, so to reach my beloved with as little delay as possible.

 _Charlotte_

William's letter arrived with the Tuesday morning post. I opened it while at the breakfast table. As soon as I began reading it, I wished I'd waited til I was in my own room. The contents were so unabashedly romantic that my face quickly turned red. Maria saw this and seized the letter from me. She burst out laughing and, to my shame, began reading aloud to our other sister Emily.

"You are like a delicate flower blossoming in May. Your face is like my rose petals, soft to the touch. How I cannot wait to press my hand against your fair-"

"That's quite enough!" I interrupted, snatching the letter back from her. But she was not dissuaded.

"Your scent intoxicates me? My love for you is in full bloom? Is this man for real? This is ridiculous!" Maria exclaimed.

Emily was laughing too. "Are you marrying a man, or adopting a lovesick puppy?" She teased.

Fortunately, I was spared from answering by the entrance of my father.

"Good morning, girls." he greeted.

"Good morning," I returned. "Father, Mr. Collins has written that he will be coming back to Hertfordshire in two weeks."

"Excellent. I shall have our housekeeper prepare a room for him". Sir William nodded.

"He has indicated that he has already accepted an invitation from the Bennets to stay there again."

"Oh? It's a wonder that he should trouble them again so soon. Be sure to invite him to stay here on his next visit. I am certain we have plenty of room to put him up."

"Thank you, Father". I said. In truth, I was a little grateful he would not be staying with us this visit. I wasn't used to him quite yet, and I wasn't sure I was ready to spend so much time in his company. On the other hand, I would soon be spending every day for the rest of my life with him, so maybe I shouldn't be so grateful and should just learn now how to be around his constant stream of conversation and long-winded speeches.

I still wasn't sure exactly when my wedding would be. My mother had delivered our wedding announcement to our family minister, and it would be read in church for three weeks as the law requires starting this Sunday. However, following the Christmas Eve service, our minister was meant to travel to visit some relatives, and would be gone until after the New Year sometime, thus William's plan of a New Year wedding would not happen.

I did not visit Lizzy very often, and when I did, things were still quite tense between us and we spoke little. I could tell her opinion of me was tarnished, and I resented her idealistic notions of love. It was easy for her to turn down proposals and scorn proud men; she was still young and beautiful, and had every chance of attracting some other suitable husband. I, on the other hand, did not have that luxury. A decent, God-fearing man like William was probably only going to come around once for me. He was my last hope for ever getting married. For that, I could put up with a lifetime of monologuing and ridiculous love letters.

Truth be told, the love letter was nice to receive, in a way. I had never been praised so amorously before, and it made me wonder how much of the content stemmed from infatuation or a desire to please me, and how much might be genuine admiration.

Since I had promised to write, I did reply to his letter, and to the two others that came in his absence, both equally gushy. My letters, however, were all to-the-point and matter-of-fact, mainly containing details of what I thought the wedding should entail, or any other news I had to relate. I did not consider myself a romantic, and my letters were absent of any unnecessary flowery language.

The two weeks passed by quickly, and soon it was the day of William's arrival. I felt strange. Instead of feeling dread at his return, I found I was actually looking forward to seeing him again. Although he had indicated he expected to arrive late, I wondered if there was any chance he would reach Hertfordshire sooner and call on me before the day was over.

 _William_

I hardly paid any attention to my parish duties the whole two weeks, moving through everything mechanically, collecting tithes, visiting sick parishioners, writing my sermons- all about love and marriage, of course! Even visits to Rosings seemed dull, and Lady Catherine's company tiresome for a change. I could not wait to get back to my Charlotte. Only Charlotte's letters provided any solace, so full of her sweetness and simplicity; I could not contain my excitement whenever one arrived, and I read them over and over.

As eager as I was to return to Hertfordshire, I had an errand I wished to complete in London. I took the earliest mail coach available Monday morning so as to be in town by late morning. After a quick lunch at the inn, I set out to do my shopping. I browsed through a number of stores before I found one that had exactly the thing I was looking for. I just hoped that Charlotte would like it. I glanced at the sky, and then at my pocket watch. If I could catch the next carriage out now, I could still reach Hertfordshire before nightfall.

 _Charlotte_

I was sitting in my favorite nook again when I saw a hired carriage pull up. William exited the carriage, and paid the driver before he departed. I closed the Bible I'd been reading and ran to my room. I quickly brushed back some stray locks and re-pinned them, pinched my cheeks for color, and checked my teeth for any stray green vegetables, just before the knock at the door came.

William was taking off his hat as I came down the staircase, as gracefully as I could manage. There was a look of awe on his face which made me blush. Thankfully, neither Maria nor Emily were anywhere nearby, only the maid who let him in. He kissed my hand upon approach.

"My dear, you are as exquisite as a rare jewel, and more lovely to the eye to behold," he gushed.

My father entered the foyer. "Ah, Mr. Collins, how excellent to see you again! Will you be joining us for dinner?"

"Thank you, sir, I shall". Was my fiance's polite reply. "But before that, may your daughter and I take a walk through your garden?"

"You may". My father winked at me.

"I'll just fetch my cloak." I said, blushing again.

We walked around the garden a bit. When we reached the bench next to the fountain, William asked if we could sit.

"Charlotte," he began, I hope you know that my devotion to you has no bounds. I esteem you in every way to be the fairest creature on the planet; no other woman could compare to your-"

"It's alright, William." I interrupted him, feeling that my shame outweighed the rudeness of doing so. "You don't have to go to such great lengths to profess your love to me. I am aware of how you feel."

"Oh." He was suddenly silent. I felt bad. Perhaps I shouldn't have stifled his exuberance. Then he took a different direction.

"There's something I want to give you." He began fumbling in his coat pocket. "Something I feel every bride, yes, every _wife,_ ought to have." With that, he pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside was a delicate gold wedding band.

"For you to wear on our wedding day. And every day after," he added. I held it up so I could see it in the fading light. Wrapping the center all the way around was a delicate floral vine pattern carved out of gold. It was exquisite, but not ostentatious, just the sort of ring I would have chosen for myself.

"I hope you like it." William said.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed. He took it from me and tried to put it on my finger.

"Oh dear!" He gasped. I looked down. The ring was too small for my finger.

"I'm so sorry, Charlotte. Clearly I overestimated just how delicate and tiny your hands are- I mean, they always seem so small and dainty." He stammered as he took the ring back off.

"It's alright," I sought to reassure him. "The ring is lovely."

William wasn't satisfied. "Rest assured, my dear, I will get this fixed before our wedding day. I will take this back to London with me on my way home and have it resized for you. I need only to measure your finger with a bit of string and take that length to the jeweler."

I was impressed with his level of determination and his attention to detail. He clearly wanted to ensure that this ring would be perfect for me, and had gone to great lengths to select something he thought would suit me. Perhaps his care for me was more sincere than I had realized.

"Thank you for my ring, William." I smiled at him.

"Charlotte?"

"Yes?"

"I wondered if I might," he gulped, " be permitted to kiss you. On the lips". He added.

It was my turn to gulp. "I suppose that might be alright."

Awkwardly, he leaned in close and puckered his lips, and I did the same. I tilted my head slightly, but he tilted the same way, so I tilted the other way, but he also did, so instead of our lips meeting, our noses and foreheads collided.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry!" William apologized.

"It's okay," I mumbled.

"Let's try that again." This time he swiftly leaned in and planted a firm but brief kiss on my lips.

It wasn't all that bad, actually, I thought. Maybe I could get used to this.

Realizing the time, I said, "it must be nearly time for dinner. We ought to return inside."

He nodded and we left the garden as the last glow of sunset faded.

 _William_

The memory of Charlotte's lips pressed against mine lingered long after. Her lips were so soft and delicate, and she smelled good, like some kind of floral soap. I kicked myself inwardly at how awkward I had been, though. I was too ashamed to admit, I had never kissed a woman before, only witnessed others briefly or seen kissing in a painting. Charlotte seemed to have taken it all in stride though, and I swore to myself that our next kiss would be smoother.

In spite of staying at Longbourn, I scarcely spent any time there. I made sure to spend dinner there my second night, so as not to be rude, but most nights during my stay, I ate with the Lucases, and only returned in time before bed. I felt badly, and apologized plenty for my absence, but I could not seem to tear myself away from Charlotte. My cousins did not seem to mind. After the events that had transpired during my last visit, they seemed reluctant to be in my presence too much. I was grateful that Sir William had extended an invitation through Charlotte for me to simply stay at the lodge on my next visit.

On Tuesday night, a new cold front blew in, bringing heavy clouds. I awoke the next morning to see the ground covered in fresh white snow. The Bennets were kind enough to lend me their mare, so that I could ride over to Lucas Lodge. Charlotte and her sisters were outside playing in the snow when I arrived. She waved when she saw me.

"Look, William, it snowed!" She was helping Maria roll a huge snowball for their snowman. Then, Emily threw a snowball, and it hit her squarely in the shoulders. Charlotte just laughed and returned fire on her sister, pelting her with snowballs. I loved seeing this side of Charlotte, free like a child at play.

"I'll just go stable my horse." I called to her.

"Of course, I'll be inside in a few minutes", she called back.

I was already warming myself by the fire in the sitting room when Charlotte and her sisters came in through the front door. Charlotte shed her cloak and wet outer garments and joined me on the settee. A maid brought us some hot chocolate.

"You were right, my dear." I said.

"About what?"

"Hertfordshire is exceedingly beautiful covered in snow."

She nodded in approbation of my assessment.

"And you, beloved," I continued, "are like a snow queen- radiant and lovely playing in the snow, with your fur-trimmed cape like a crown on your head."

She laughed. "I'm more like a silly schoolgirl. I don't know why, but every year something about the first snowfall makes me want to just run and play in it."

"It has been a long time since I played in the snow," I said, "but seeing you today made me want to."

"Well then, perhaps sometime you'll join us."

"Perhaps." I replied.

Changing the subject, I asked, "how go the wedding plans? Have your parents yet received a confirmation from your minister, that we might finalize the date upon which I am to become the happiest of men?"

"Reverend Pearson has indicated that he will be traveling to visit relatives over Christmas and New Year, thus the wedding cannot take place until sometime the second week of January. A firm date has not yet been decided." She concluded.

"Still, that is only a few weeks away," I said, encouraged. "Ah, Charlotte, you are so good, so amiable! I never expected I would be so happy in all my life, not even with Cousin Elizabeth." My remark must have struck a note with Charlotte, because she frowned.

"What's the matter, dear? Have I upset you?" I asked.

"William, did you love Lizzy"? Her question was the last one I might have expected. I chose my words carefully.

"I… believed that I loved her, or at least that I was falling in love with her. I certainly esteemed her and regarded her as the sort of woman who I thought might make me a suitable match. Clearly, I was wrong." I cleared my throat and continued. "Truth be told, I was quite shocked that she rejected me. Even if her affection was less than mine, the economic advantage I was offering should alone have induced her to accept, yet she blatantly refused."

Unaware of fully why, I began to tear up.

"What's more, her treatment of me since then has been so cold. Do you know that she has not spoken to me, except by sheer necessity, since that day? She rather pointedly ignores me and goes out of her way to avoid me, as if we were no longer even friends, let alone family. I had hoped at least, that we might just pretend the whole incident never occurred. After all, it was not I who behaved rudely or caused insult. In fact, the whole Bennet family seems less welcoming to me than before, which is partly why I have spent so little time there since I arrived the other night." I finished.

"I'm so sorry, William." Charlotte consoled.

"It's alright, my dear. I only look forward to our future together. I think it is safe to say, I no longer have any feelings for Elizabeth."

That seemed to have put the matter to rest, and we changed the subject to other things. We spent the rest of the day indoors, reading by the fire and conversing or playing cards with Charlotte's parents and siblings.

At the end of the day, Charlotte informed me that she had plans to call on Elizabeth the next day, and apologized, but that I should expect we would spend the bulk of our day at Longbourn. I told her not to worry, and that it would be fine.

 _Charlotte_

I arrived at the Bennet home shortly before lunch. Mrs. Bennet scowled at me as I walked past her into the sitting room. She'd made it no secret that she saw me as her supplanter, the future mistress of Longbourn, and for the moment, she still despised me for it.

William was in the sitting room with the older three of his cousins (Kitty and Lydia had gone to Meryton, probably to chase officers). He rose and took my hand, pressing it to his lips briefly. "Good morning, my dear," he greeted. I replied similarly. Elizabeth and Jane both rose and gave me hugs; Mary simply nodded and said "hello", before continuing her piano practice.

We talked for a while, exchanging pleasantries, and my fiancé dominated the conversation as usual, until Jane was called away to help her mother, and Mary concluded her practice and left to find something else to do. Seeing that it was down to just Lizzy, myself, and he in the room, William also excused himself to prepare for his sermon.

"What a relief, now that he's gone!" Lizzy sighed.

Her comment irked me.

"Why do you say that?" I inquired.

"You must get so tired of his company, day in and day out." She said.

"As I expect to soon be in his company daily, I have found I am getting used to it." I said stiffly. Lizzy misinterpreted my demeanor to be discomfort over my future prospects.

"How I pity you, Charlotte," she said, "to be chained to such a man for life. Isn't there any hope of your breaking free before it is too late? You could always call off the engagement." That was the last straw for me.

"How dare you, Elizabeth!" I stood, infuriated. "I consider myself extremely fortunate to be engaged to Mr. Collins. He is kind and generous, considerate of my well-being and is eager to please me. While I do not know yet whether I love him, I can at least say with confidence that I have come to regard him as my friend. That is something you do not even consider him, in spite of the fact that he is your cousin, and his only offense against you was to offer you a comfortable life and protect your family's inheritance!"

"An inheritance which you were all too quick to snatch up!" Elizabeth accused. "Or do you deny that it was your object to steal my family's home out from under us, behind my back?" The hint of truth behind her words hit me like a slap in the face.

"My object was to secure my happiness and spare my family the burden of supporting me."

"So you _are_ just an opportunist then!"

"Better that than someone who cares so little for other people's feelings!" I shot back. "My feelings aside, how could you treat poor William so? Did you not realize that he cared for you when you cast him aside? And now you treat him as a stranger, not even family to you anymore. I came to him when he was brokenhearted and bitter and gave him reason to hope that he might still find happiness."

"So it's 'poor William' now?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "I think it would have been, and for me too, it we had gone through with his proposal. We are completely ill-suited for each other. In fact, having known you for so long, I still do not see how you could possibly feel any differently about him than I do. But, as they say, 'one man's trash is another's treasure'. If you want my leftovers, you go right ahead."

"I think you are right. You are ill-suited for William. There is no way he could be happy with such a spiteful, selfish person." I spat.

Elizabeth just stared at me. "I think you should leave." She finally said.

"I think I should." Was my reply. "Tell William and the others that I have an upset stomach and will not be staying for lunch after all. I've certainly lost my appetite."

I left the Bennet's house and began walking in the general direction of my own, but I ended up wandering around across a snow-covered pasture and into the woods near my house. I truly felt sick to my stomach; that at least was no lie. How could I have said such awful things to Elizabeth, my dearest friend? If our friendship was now at an end, it was definitely my fault.

After over an hour of wandering around, the path finally led me back to my own garden where I sank onto my favorite bench. It was so cold out, but I did not want to have to explain my sudden return to my family, as they were expecting me to stay at the Bennet's til dinner.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice calling out to me.

"Charlotte? Charlotte, where are you?" I looked up. It was William, coming down the path into view. He spotted me and hurried his gait. "Charlotte! I was so worried about you. Whatever are you doing out here in the cold?" He grasped me in a firm embrace as soon as he reached me.

"Just... thinking", I tried to excuse.

"They told me you'd gone home with a stomach ache, and I was alarmed you left without even saying goodbye, so I skipped lunch to come here and check on you. But when I called, your family had no idea about your condition or your return, so I- what's wrong, dearest?" He noticed how greatly I was trembling and on the verge of tears and it broke his monologue.

I quickly wiped my eyes and lifted my chin.

"It's nothing." I lied.

He wasn't convinced.

"My dear, I would never wish you to tell me anything you didn't want to. However, as your fiancé, I want you to know, I'm happy to listen to anything you want to unburden yourself of," William said tenderly, placing his hand on my back.

I broke down.

"Oh, I've made such a mess of things! Lizzy and I had an argument."

"An argument? Good heavens! Over what?"

Between sobs I said, "I got angry with her over her treatment of you, and her disapproval of our relationship. She accused me of only marrying you so I could inherit her house someday. We both said some nasty things to one another."

William pulled back from me in horror. "Oh dear. Oh, this is all my fault!"

I shook my head. "No, William, you cannot blame yourself for any of this. This was all my doing".

"If I hadn't told you how I felt about Elizabeth's rejection of me….or if I'd made it clear to my relatives my intentions…" He turned and looked me in the eye. "You know dear, I never intended to steal away the inheritance from my fair cousins. It's only by a silly law written ages ago that the estate passes them by for lack of a male heir. I fully intend to let them use the house for as long as they wish, until all the daughters are safely married and Mrs. Bennet has passed on or has chosen to move out."

"I believe you." I nodded.

He continued, "I ought to sit down with them all, or at least Cousin Bennet, and set the record straight."

"That may be very well, but that will not undo all the things I have said to Lizzy."

I started sobbing again. William pulled me into another embrace and let me cry on his shoulder. "There, there." He patted my hair. "Elizabeth will forgive you, I am sure. Go to her and apologize, and you can make things right."

"I'm not sure she will even see me, let alone speak to me ever again."

"Go to her later today, when you have rested. As the Good Book says, 'don't let the sun go down on your anger'. But now we must get you inside, for it is cold, and if you stay outside much longer you really will get sick." Just as he said this, a large gust of wind blew, and I shivered. William took off his own coat and wrapped it around my shoulders. Then, he scooped me up into his arms and carried me inside. Weary from my wild emotions, I nestled my head against his chest. It occurred to me that he was much stronger than he appeared to be, to be able to carry me so easily. He laid me down on my bed and told me he would inform my parents that I was unwell. Then he left the room and I fell asleep.

 _William_

I was already worried when I left Longbourn to check on Charlotte's condition. I cannot even convey how petrified I was to learn that she had not arrived safely back at home. The thought of her lost somewhere in the woods, out in the snow, and sick, was more than I could bear.

I was relieved then, when I set out through the garden, and I found her at 'our bench'. It upset me very greatly though, when I discovered that I had come between her and her best friend, that they had quarreled over me and over a matter which I should have easily put to rest long ago. I made up my mind that I ought- no, I _must,_ do whatever I could to help set things right.

I remained downstairs at Lucas Lodge while Charlotte rested. The combination of her exposure to the outdoors for so long and her being emotionally overwrought demanded that she take some time to recover. I occupied myself with some reading in preparation for my sermon that week, although I found it very hard to concentrate.

At length, Charlotte awoke, and her parents sent a servant up with some food. When she had finished, she came down to where I was in the study.

"Thank you, William, for coming to look for me. And also for listening to me." She said.

I nodded. "Anything for you, my darling. You are the sun and moon to me. For you I would move heaven and earth. I would climb the highest mountain to pick you a star from the sky if you asked it if me." I hoped my declarations would please her. She seemed to have too much on her mind still and paid them no consequence. Her expression was worried and she sat staring at the floor for a bit. When she found her voice, she said, "I would like to take your advice and visit Lizzy today. I don't think I can go to sleep tonight without trying to right the wrongs between us."

"I shall accompany you." I stated.

She looked relieved. "Would you? That would make it so much easier for me."

"Of course", I said. "After all, I have to return sometime tonight anyways, and I wish to speak to Mr. Bennet about the future of his estate following his passing."

Charlotte's parents protested against her leaving, on account of the report they'd been given of her taking ill, but I assured them that her ailment was passed, and that we had matters to tend to, so they acquiesced.

The Bennet's were quite surprised to see Charlotte accompany me, and inquired after her health. Mrs. Bennet invited Charlotte to stay for dinner, now that her indigestion was past, but she did not give an answer. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen. I politely informed them that Charlotte wished a private audience with Elizabeth, and at the same time asked for an audience with Cousin Bennet. As I followed him to his study, I passed Elizabeth on her way down to see Charlotte. She looked like she had been crying. I silently prayed that the two would be able to reconcile. As for me, I was certain my conversation with my cousin would put to rest any fears he or his family may have, and might finally induce Mrs. Bennet to look at me again with anything but contempt.

 _Charlotte_

I had never been so nervous before as when I sat in the Bennet's sitting room to wait for Elizabeth. The harsh words we'd spoken in that very room just that morning still rang in my mind, and I wondered if it was possible for Lizzy to forgive me after what I'd said. Therefore, I was surprised when, as soon as she entered the room, she ran to me and embraced me, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Charlotte, I'm so sorry!" Lizzy sobbed. "I've been a horrible beast! I had no right to call you an 'opportunist', or to criticize your motives for marrying Mr. Collins. I know you well enough to know you would never wish me or any of my family to be homeless, or try to maneuver and scheme to take this inheritance."

"I'm sorry too, dear Lizzy!" I was crying now too. "I called you such awful things, contrary to what I know of your character. Can you ever forgive me for how I've treated you?"

"I can, and I will. I only hope you will do the same for me."

"Of course I will!" I hugged her again.

"You were right about me." Lizzy admitted. "I was cold and unfeeling to Mr. Collins, and I thought very little of him. I sought only to save myself from further embarrassment after his unwanted attention to me."

"You are not to blame, Lizzy. I understand how you feel. He can be a bit overzealous in his flattery and affection at times, to the point that I often feel I am blushing constantly for his unabashed professions of love in front of anyone and anybody." My face turned red again just from thinking about some of his latest adorations.

"But Charlotte," Elizabeth said with a grin, "I think you are beginning to enjoy all his attention!"

"Hush!" I scolded, growing redder with shame by the second. "It's bad enough I have to deal with my two sisters' teasing at home."

"What was it he said only this morning when we were discussing the weather? 'The snow may be bitter cold, but my amiable Charlotte is like a ray of warm sunshine that warms you inside and out '? Something like that?" She continued to tease.

"I forget." I mumbled, hoping she would drop the subject.

"I think, dear Charlotte, that perhaps you care for Mr. Collins more than you are willing to admit, maybe even more than you yourself realize." Elizabeth had hit upon the swirling mass of emotions within me. I had, in fact, been confused as of late, wondering what my true feelings for William were. I diverted with a joke, "I thought we already agreed, I'm only in this for the money and the house". We both laughed at that. It felt so good to be friends again.

I changed the subject. "Now that I have my best friend back, there is something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Anything." Lizzy answered.

"Would you do me the honor of attending my wedding as my Maid of Honor?"

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure", she hugged me. "Just remember, when you are leaving and you toss your bouquet, be sure to throw it in my general direction". Elizabeth winked.

"And what groom might you be hoping for? Mr. Wickham? Or Mr. Darcy?" Now it was my turn to tease.

"Darcy, hah! He was not an option even while he was still in town. Wickham is indeed handsome and charming, but I have heard rumors that he may be getting engaged to a Miss King."

"How unfortunate!" I shook my head. "Perhaps Mr. Collins has a cousin." I said.

"You forget, Charlotte. I _am_ his cousin!" We both laughed again.

"In truth, though, being his cousin is not so bad in some ways." Elizabeth confessed. "For one thing, since I have no brothers, this match between the two of you is about the closest I can ever get to having you become my sister-in-law!"

"When I am married and settled in Kent, you must come and visit me. I shall miss you so, sweet Lizzy!" We hugged once more. With my friendship finally back at peace, I could now turn my focus fully to my wedding plans. All was well with the world again.

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much, to everyone who has been reading with me thus far! Chapter 4 will be an exciting one. We get to see the wedding- and the honeymoon! As an added bonus, I am including a link to a picture of the ring that inspired the one William gives to Charlotte in this chapte. Note that fanfiction dot net will not let me put the full listing, so type www dot Etsy dot com slash before the rest of the url:** **listing/162335364/14k-gold-vintage-style-band-floral?ga_order=most_relevant &ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=antique%20gold%20wedding%20band%20floral&ref=sr_gallery_35**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the previous chapters. Your comments and feedback inspire me to write! Coming up, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for- the wedding and wedding night. About the wedding night scene, I do infer a few details, but there's nothing explicit, and I've done my best to keep it all to a "PG-13" rating level, with a bit of humor thrown in. They are a married couple, and I'm writing to a modern audience, so I feel free to go a bit further than I would with an unmarried couple, but hopefully, I still do Jane Austen proud. :-)**

Chapter 4

 _William_

I hated to return to Kent again on Saturday, but my leave of absence had again expired, and it was necessary for me to return to my flock. My last day in Hertfordshire had passed without any remarkable event. Before I left though, I was given a shining ray of hope: a letter from the Reverend Pearson arrived at the lodge asking whether January 8th or 9th would be preferred as a wedding date. My future in-laws asked if I had any prior commitments on either of those dates, to which I replied that I had not, and that they should merely let me know which date they have chosen once it had been settled with the reverend.

Christmas was the following week. On my way home, I stopped again in London to shop briefly. I arranged to have the gift I purchased delivered to Charlotte- a bottle of rose perfume. I hoped she would like her Christmas present. Evidently, she did, for on Christmas Eve, a thank-you letter arrived for me, along with a precious lock of her own hair. The gift itself, plus the knowledge that she could not have even waited til Christmas to open my present, brought me such joy, that I felt giddy like a little child again. It had been a long time since I felt that way at Christmas. My congregation seemed in good spirits too when I greeted them following the Christmas Eve service at our parish. I received many 'Happy Christmas' wishes along with many 'Congratulations' for my upcoming wedding.

The details for my wedding were soon finalized. The date was set for Thursday the 9th, and Lady Catherine approved my return for the 3rd. I spent most of my remaining days preparing my house for my new bride. As much as I hated the separation from her, the thought that it bought me time to make everything ready gave me consolation. It also painted a beautiful picture of what our Lord Jesus was doing, I thought, preparing a heavenly home for his bride, the Church, before he returns to take her to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Everyone in my congregation knew of my impending marriage, so I used this comparison to write a wonderful sermon for my last Sunday to preach as a single man.

When I returned to Hertfordshire, I did not stay at Longbourn again; the Lucas's had made up a room for me at Lucas Lodge, which was perfect, because now I could spend even more time with my beloved Charlotte and her family. Everyone in the household was in a flurry. All the servants were busy cleaning just about every nook and cranny, and cooking and baking up a storm. Charlotte and her sisters were making little packages of mints for wedding favors, and packages of rice to throw at our departure, and the Bennet sisters came over to help with these projects. I was surrounded by women.

On Tuesday before the wedding, Charlotte's two older brothers arrived, George and Matthew. I was grateful for some more male company. I myself had no guests coming to the wedding, except the Bennets. I had no brothers, and my parents were no longer living. My one aunt was invited, but she was too old to travel anymore. Furthermore, I had not kept in touch with any of my schoolmates, and I could not invite anyone from my parish without inviting the whole neighborhood, something I could not do.

Being without any groomsmen then, I asked George and Matthew if they might stand up for me, as their new brother-in-law. They said they'd be honored. I was a little worried about the wedding party being uneven; Charlotte had both Maria and Emily as bridesmaids and Elizabeth as Maid of Honor, and I had only two for my side. But Charlotte assured me that it was alright, and since women know so much more about weddings, I decided to let it be.

Finally, it was the day of the wedding. According to tradition, I was not permitted to see my bride before the wedding, for fear of bad luck. Charlotte remained in her room while her sisters and Elizabeth attended to her. I dressed myself in my best black coat with a silver silk cravat. In one pocket, I carried Charlotte's lock of hair, tucked inside the lid of my pocket watch. In my other pocket was Charlotte's ring, perfectly resized to fit.

I went with Charlotte's brothers to wait at the church. The wedding guests were already arriving. I saw the Bennets take their seats in one of the middle pews. Mrs. Bennet was softly crying and wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, which her husband looked annoyed by, for he kept patting her arm with a bored grimace on his face. Mary had brought a book, and had already buried her nose in it to pass the time til the wedding began. Kitty and Lydia were, as usual, talking and giggling with one another. Only Jane looked truly happy to be there. I hoped, in time, she would find a suitable match. It seemed the man she had bet her hopes on, our host at the Netherfield Ball, had left town, presumably for good. Ah, how long ago that event seemed, although in reality scarcely a month and a half had passed! To think that it was only then that I was first introduced to my Charlotte!

The wedding would begin very soon. I tingled in nervousness and excitement, waiting til Charlotte should appear and the ceremony begin.

 _Charlotte_

I could not calm the butterflies in my stomach as I got dressed for my wedding. Elizabeth helped me into my white dress, the same one I'd worn to the Netherfield Ball. How funny, when my mother first suggested I order a white dress, I told her it would be impractical and I would never have occasion to wear it. Now, in less than two month's time I had worn it twice! I also thought it was quite fitting that I should be married in the same dress I had met my husband in. I dabbed a little of the rose perfume William had bought me on my wrists and neck. My mother came in. She fastened a string of pearls around my neck that had once belonged to my grandmother. "Something old, "she said with a kiss. Elizabeth presented me with a gift. "Something new." I opened it. Inside was a beautiful handkerchief, embroidered with my new initials, C.E.C, for Charlotte Elaine Collins, and a small flower. "It's beautiful!" I gasped. "Thank you!"

Maria's turn was next. "I saw how worn out your slippers were when you were dressing for the ball." She said, offering me her new white satin slippers.

"But you haven't even worn these yet!" I gasped.

She just shrugged. "I know. That's why they're 'something borrowed'. Maybe your good luck will rub off on me when I wear these at my coming out next year!" Maria winked.

Lastly, Emily, who had a special talent for making flowers out of silk ribbons, presented me with a bouquet of blue silk roses. "And here is something blue." She said. "Now you are ready to get married. Both my sister's, my mother, and Elizabeth crowded around me and hugged me. I started to tear up. I used my new handkerchief to dab my eyes. "It's a good thing I have this." I smiled.

My thoughts were on William as we rode to the church. After today I would be spending the rest of my life with this man, and my home would be with him, not my parents. I was a little terrified. How well did I really know him? I thought about our brief time together. I had seen many sides of him already. On the one hand, he could be excessively talkative, with an exuberance and never ending stream of contrived good manners that could be tiresome. But I had seen other sides of him as well. He was vulnerable at times, as when he confessed his hurt at being rejected by Elizabeth. He could also be sweet and tender, a good listener and shoulder to cry on, and a peacemaker. Maybe marriage to him wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps Lizzy was right; I was beginning to care for this man I was marrying.

I had no more time to think, because just then the carriage pulled up in front of the church. Inside, I could hear the organ begin to play. My mother entered first, followed by my sisters and Lizzy. Lastly, my father, who had stood waiting by the door, took my arm and led me down the aisle.

All eyes were on me. I gulped in nervousness and tried to keep my gaze steady as I walked. Looking past the smiling faces of our family and friends, my eyes found William's. He was looking at me with an expression of awe, as though I were a beautiful princess. I marveled that he could see me that way- I, who had always considered myself to be plain and lacking in physical beauty.

"Who gives this woman to this man to be wed?" Reverend Pearson asked.

My father cleared his throat. "Her mother and I do." He answered. He kissed my forehead and then took my hand and placed it in William's before sitting down beside my mother.

The reverend nodded and then continued. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union between William Joseph Collins and Charlotte Elaine Lucas…" I listened numbly, hardly paying attention to what he was saying, staring into William's eyes as the ceremony went on. After the introduction, he prayed, then he asked William, "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep yourself only unto her until death do you part?"

"I do." William squeezed my hands as he replied. The minister then asked me the same question. I heard myself also say "I do." Then William took out the ring he had purchased for me and put it on my hand. Thank goodness, with the resizing, it fit perfectly.

Reverend Pearson said, "since I have witnessed the exchanging of vows and the sealing of the covenant by the giving of the wedding ring, I now declare by the power vested in me by the Church of England and by the Lord God Almighty that you are now husband and wife. You may kiss the bride".

William leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips, short and sweet. It was done. We were married.

The reverend motioned for us to turn towards the congregation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to introduce to you for the first time, Reverend and Mrs. William Collins."

 _William_

The church and the ceremony were beautiful, but nothing compared to seeing Charlotte walk down the aisle in her white dress. She looked even more radiant than the day I'd met her, like an angel or a goddess, floating towards me.

The whole wedding passed like a beautiful dream. Soon, I was walking back down the aisle arm-in-arm with my _wife._ How good it felt to say that word in my head!

The wedding party and guests adjourned to Lucas Lodge, where a sumptuous wedding breakfast was waiting for us. Lady Lucas's servants had prepared roast quail, apple tart tatin, stuffed breaded pork tenderloin, mincemeat pies, and many other delicious things. For our wedding cake, there was a three-layered fruit cake, chock-full of dates, nuts, currants, and raisins.

We received many well wishes from all our guests. Mr. Bennet said to me, "you and Mrs. Collins are welcome at Longbourn anytime you wish. You needn't wait until the house is yours to stay there". He winked. Behind him, Mrs. Bennet scowled. She only mumbled some half-hearted wish that I might be happy in my marriage, even though it is not with one of her daughters, and claimed that there were no hard feelings on her part.

Cousin Elizabeth seemed to have made her peace at last. She actually embraced me, and said, "I'm happy for you, cousin. I can see that you will take good care of Charlotte."

"You will come and visit us once we are settled, Lizzy?" Charlotte chimed in beside me.

"Of course." Elizabeth replied, giving her an even bigger embrace. "Name the date, and I shall be there."

After greetings from the rest of our friends and tearful partings between Charlotte and her family, we prepared to leave. The guests showered us with rice as we ran to the carriage and climbed in. I turned around and watched with amusement as all the single young ladies gathered to catch Charlotte's bouquet. She stood and launched it from the back of the carriage. Kitty and Lydia actually got into a shoving match as they each fought to catch it. Maria and Emily both looked hopeful, and for a second it looked like Elizabeth might catch it. But to everyone's surprise, the bouquet landed unceremoniously in the hands of Jane, standing in the back of the group, not even really trying to catch it. She blushed, then smiled.

"I pass my luck onto you, Jane!" Charlotte grinned and waved. Perhaps Cousin Jane might be the next young lady to get married after all, we should see.

 _Charlotte_

My father drove us in the carriage as far as the inn at Meryton, where we had a private coach hired to convey us on our journey to Kent- Lady Catherine's wedding gift to us. Additionally, she had made provision for us to stay the night at her favorite inn in London, about halfway through our journey. I told my husband I was grateful for her generosity, which pleased him, and he said he would be sure to thank her again when he took me to meet her.

William was peculiarly silent on the coach to London. I was expecting to get my ear talked off, but that was not the case. I had made up my mind to just be grateful and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Finally, my curiosity got the better of me.

"Dear, is something troubling you?" I asked.

William looked a little skittish, something I found unusual. "Ah, it's nothing." He lied. Sensing I wasn't convinced, he decided to be square with me.

"Actually, I must confess, I am quite nervous." He said.

"Nervous?" I asked, surprised. "About what?"

"Well...about our wedding night. And everything that that entails."

"Oh." I said, a huge blush flooding my face.

"You see, my dear…although you may be surprised to learn it, I have never been, um...intimate with a woman before." William bashfully admitted.

I shrugged. "I am a virgin as well. In fact, I expected that a man of the cloth would have also kept himself pure before marriage."

"While my conscience is somewhat eased by your saying that, it does not relieve my trepidation on account that I have no experience whatsoever in matters of," he gulped, "lovemaking."

I timidly placed my hand upon his leg. "It may be a case of 'the blind leading the blind'," I said, "but at least it's something we can figure out together." I gave him a nervous smile.

He nodded and managed a small smile in return. He was still quiet after that, and at length I fell asleep upon his shoulder.

I awakened to his gently tapping my arm. "Charlotte, we're here."

Looking out the window, I saw the inn and realized the carriage had stopped. A valet took our trunks up to our room. It was dark already. We had stopped once for tea and to change the horses, but that was hours ago, and I was hungry again. I asked if we might have some supper. William agreed that he too was hungry, so we dined on some roast chicken and mashed potatoes that the inn had to offer us. Then we retired to our room.

Once again, William was nervous. "I'm not sure exactly how we, ah...begin." he raked a hand through his hair.

"Me neither." I replied. "I know a little about what's supposed to happen, from what my mother told me. I'm just a little confused about how the, uh, how... _it,..._ is able to enter, ah…" I was too red and embarrassed to continue.

"Oh." William was also the shade of a boiled lobster by now. "Well, on that, I don't think you need to worry. I think I've got that part covered."

"Then perhaps we might start by just kissing?" I suggested. We had only kissed a few times up until this point, and always very briefly and very chastely. This kiss was a little awkward too, at first, then gradually got more intense as we got more comfortable. William pulled me closer to him and ran his hand down the length of my back.

"Oh!" I gasped, and broke the kiss momentarily. With William pressed close against me, I suddenly realized what he had meant earlier. So that's how things worked, I thought.

I began working the buttons of his shirt, trying to help him out of it. Suddenly, he backed away, laughing.

"I'm sorry, it's just that, I'm ticklish!" He explained. He finished undressing himself.

"We might as well undo my corset, while we're at it." I said. "It's not the easiest thing to get out of and I don't wish to ring for a maidservant anytime soon."

William obliged, but shaking his head, he commented, "why you women wear these infernal contraptions is beyond me. Now, where were we?"

We sat down on the bed. William leaned in and began nibbling on my ear and my neck. I moaned a little. Then suddenly, I yelled, "Ouch! You bit me!"

"I'm so sorry, dearest! I didn't mean to hurt you!" William turned away and propped his forehead up with his hand. "Goodness, I really am terrible at all this!" He looked perfectly ashamed.

I felt badly for him. "It's alright. I'm new to this too. I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself." I sought to reassure him. "You know," I said thoughtfully, "nobody ever said we have to go all the way on our first try."

William nodded. "Right." However, he looked a little disappointed. A few moments passed.

"Unless, of course, you want to." I added.

"I want to!" My husband immediately pulled me into a fierce and passionate kiss, the likes of which quite surprised me.

And so two became one in the eyes of God that night, as husband and wife joined together in body and spirit for the first time.

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed! Tune in next week for when Charlotte meets Lady Catherine for the first time, dun, dun dun!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for reading with me this far, and I hope you enjoy this week's chapter!**

Chapter 5

 _William_

The morrow after my wedding, I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. I laid in bed for a while just watching my wife sleep and thinking to myself how beautiful she looked with her long hair trailing down the back of her white nightgown, her deep breathing causing her chest to heave up and down. Our first time together, admittedly, had been awkward, and a bit short. The second time was much better, though, and the subsequent times...well, suffice it to say that by the time we got back into the coach I was a _very_ happily married man!

I was chatty and excited on this leg of our trip, for in just a few short hours we would be at Hunsford Parsonage. I was eager to show my bride all the improvements I had made to the house in preparation for her arrival, how I had paid attention to every detail that might please her.

"I've installed a brand-new wardrobe in the master bedroom, for you to hang all your beautiful clothes," I told her, "and purchased a vanity for you to sit at while your hair is being arranged."

"Thank you, dear." Charlotte replied.

"I also repaired the floorboards on the stairs, which were beginning to creak, hunted down the mouse in the attic, and replaced the old rug by the fireplace with a new plush Turkish one." I proudly conveyed.

"Your attention to detail has been most thorough." She praised.

"Thank you. It is all for you, my dear." I beamed. I continued to relate details about the house for a while, then moved on to describing the neighborhood and it's residents. Of course, my illustration would not be complete without an account of Lady Catherine's personality and her magnificent home, Rosings. On that subject, I spared no detail. I wanted Charlotte to feel at home from the moment we arrived, and to feel as though she were already familiar with everyone and everything.

We stopped at the Bell Inn in Bromley for luncheon.

"Lady Catherine always dines here and rests her horses whenever she travels to or from London." I told Charlotte. When we were back on the road after luncheon, Charlotte asked if she might be permitted to rest a while. I obliged, owing that our journey was quite tiring, and wishing her to be a bit rested when we arrived home.

 _Charlotte_

If William was silent as the grave the day before, he more than made up for it on the second day of our journey. I suppose, in a way, I was glad that I had made him so happy and that he was back to his usual self. But at the same time, it was a bit exhausting listening to his endless stream of talking. I was grateful to get a break from it by taking another nap.

My husband woke me when we were nearly home. Lady Catherine had insisted that our private coach convey us all the way to Hunsford Parsonage, thus sparing us the hassle of hiring a post chaise in Westerham to complete the last bit of our journey.

I looked out the window as we came up the lane.

"There it is, my dear! Our home!" William pointed out excitedly.

The parsonage was a sweet two-story stone cottage, covered with ivy. The garden beside it lay dormant for winter, but the trees and shrubs were all well-manicured, and I could foresee that the landscape might be quite pretty come spring when in bloom.

The servants greeted us at the door and took our trunks.

William took me on a tour of the house, showing me the foyer, dining room, kitchen, sitting room, and his study. Then he stopped beside a closed door.

"This room is my special surprise for you, Charlotte."

I was curious what this could be.

He opened the door to a small parlour, furnished with a couple of floral upholstered settees, an end table, and a small desk in the corner.

"I converted this room into a parlour for your own private use. I had some furnishings brought in, but I left the walls bare. You may decorate it however you wish. When you want to entertain a guest or two, or just want a place to escape, you can come here. I won't bother you."

Escape _._ Funny that he should put it that way. Perhaps he was more aware of his own mannerisms than I thought, to think I might need a place to get away to from time to time. To get a respite, the word I would have used in place of escape. For it wasn't that I was being imprisoned or held hostage by some brute. Rather, I think every spouse needs a bit of a break from the other now and then, and it seems he knew this too.

"Thank you, William." I gave him a heartfelt hug.

He then took me upstairs to show me the rest of the house. When we reached our bedroom, he was eager to show me my new wardrobe and vanity. I, however, was more interested in the bed. I heaved myself upon it in a bit of an unladylike fashion and sprawled out across the top. William seemed a little surprised, then, brushing decorum aside, followed suit. Laying on his side and propping up on one elbow, he asked me, "do you like your new home, Charlotte?"

I thought for a moment, then replied. "Yes, I believe I do."

"You know, there's still time before we need to change for dinner". He said with a smile.

"You're welcome to take a nap if you like, dear." I said. "I'm rested enough from the drive."

"A nap wasn't what I had in mind." William's eyes twinkled, and I understood his meaning.

It was nice to be desired, I thought, as we shut the world out for a little longer.

 _William_

Having now shown my humble parsonage to Charlotte, my anticipation turned towards being able to introduce her to my patroness. Fortunately, I did not have to wait too long. A message arrived the next day inviting us to dinner at Rosings. I was almost beside myself.

"Lady Catherine will be so pleased to meet the woman who has made me the happiest man alive!" I gushed. "Be sure to wear one of your best dresses, Charlotte. I wish for her to see you in all your glory when I first introduce you. I have already bragged to her of your many fine qualities, your gentility, good taste, common sense, and general agreeableness, among other things". Charlotte looked a little embarrassed, so I said, "of course, you needn't worry, I know you are too humble to admit all these, but I know they are true."

"Thank you." She murmured.

At half-past four Charlotte appeared downstairs, wearing a blue dress trimmed in lace. Her hair was also fixed rather becomingly.

"I hope my appearance meets with your approval, and with Lady Catherine's." She added.

"Indeed. You look radiant as the moon goddess Diana in all her splendor. No doubt you will be the most beautiful woman at Rosings tonight, even more so than the noble Miss de Bourgh in all her finery." I lavished.

Charlotte and I walked across the park to the great manor where my benefactress and her daughter resided. I let my wife soak in the majesty and magnitude of Rosings as we approached. I was confident it would surpass even my detailed descriptions to her. Lady Catherine's butler admitted us to her sitting room and announced us.

"My dear lady, it is my privilege to introduce to you my wife, Charlotte Collins, daughter of Sir William Lucas." I said with immense pride. My wife curtsied before the great lady.

"Come here, Mrs. Collins, that I may have a look at you." Lady Catherine commanded.

Charlotte timidly stepped forward.

"Your dress and manners certainly befit the daughter of a knight and the wife of a clergyman." Lady Catherine appraised, "but you are older than I expected. By Mr. Collins' descriptions of you, I was expecting a spring chicken. I trust your maturity may be an asset though, for as you know, the wife of a rector is responsible for many things, including maintaining relations with the parishioners and raising well-behaved model children."

"Yes, your ladyship." Charlotte nodded.

Lady Catherine invited us to sit before she continued.

"Have you very much experience with children, Mrs. Collins?"

"A little". Charlotte replied. "I have two younger sisters at home who are both several years my junior. I often helped in the nursery when they were small."

"Heavens, didn't you have a nursemaid for that?" Lady Catherine scoffed.

"To be sure, we did. A very fine one. But as my sisters are but one year apart, there were many times when she would be tending to one and the other might need something, or someone to play with. In this, I was of great assistance to her."

"I see." Turning to me, she addressed, "Mr. Collins, you ought to give your wife's fine skills a refresher. Perhaps you might employ her to teach the 'children's time' on Sundays in your parish."

"An excellent idea, your ladyship." I commended. "Perhaps when Mrs. Collins has had a few weeks to settle in, she might be interested in establishing such. Don't you think, darling?" I asked, turning to Charlotte.

"Perhaps." Charlotte said quietly.

I expressed, "I, for one, have been longing to give the children a special time of ten or fifteen minutes during the sunday service that appeals to them, but have been lacking in a suitable teacher to conduct such. I myself have made a few attempts, but I think the children do not relate to me as I have not the talent for simplifying Bible stories to their level. I can see that they get bored during the rest of the service, too, and that my sermons are too complex for most of them to grasp. I would love for them to have a teacher dedicated to improving their understanding of the Lord God in ways that are more practical for their age."

"I'll do it." Charlotte suddenly volunteered. I was surprised, but pleased, at her sudden enthusiasm.

"That's excellent, my dear!" I clasped my hands in excitement. "You'll be just wonderful at it, I know."

Lady Catherine chimed in. "You'll have your work cut out for you. It is imperative that you plan a thorough curriculum to cover the entire year. You must not neglect any of the virtues or the major Bible stories, and you must also emphasize good moral character." She advised.

"You could play a short game each week, or have a simple song to help the children remember their scripture memory verses," I suggested.

Lady Catherine jumped in again. "And you must include some children's hymns. Do you play the piano at all, Mrs. Collins?"

Charlotte looked a little overwhelmed. "A little, your ladyship, although not much as of late."

"You must not allow your talent to wither away." Lady Catherine admonished. "I know there is no piano at your home, but you may be allowed to use one of mine to practice on, for I have several. Perhaps the one in the drawing room, when the room is not in use, or the one in the housekeeper's room. That one nobody ever touches, and she is seldom in her room during the daytime, naturally."

I smiled at how naturally gracious and generous Lady Catherine was, to think of offering such a thing.

"Thank you so much, your ladyship." I said. Charlotte, who had been momentarily speechless, found her voice. "Y-yes, thank you."

Charlotte looked a little pale.

I jumped to reassure her. "You needn't be worried about all this, dearest. With your sweet spirit and easy manners, I'm sure the children will all love you, and I will help you to make the lesson plans if you wish." Charlotte nodded.

At that moment, Miss de Bourgh arrived.

"Ah, here is my daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh". Lady Catherine said as her daughter entered the room. She spent a minute introducing Charlotte. Before we had further time to converse, the bell rang, and we were ushered into the dining room.

The first course we were served was a potato and kale soup, followed by a winter salad topped with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. The main dish was seared chicken breasts with brown rice pilaf.

"I am very keen to serve only nutritious food at my table these days, on account of Anne's health." Lady Catherine remarked as we nibbled on the chicken. "I recently hired a chef straight from Paris, and I have given him clear instructions to only cook lean cuts of meat, whole grains, and a variety of healthy starches, fruits, and vegetables."

"An excellent plan, your ladyship." I praised.

"Mrs. Collins," she addressed my wife. "You also ought to be careful as to the menu you order in your household. It is your job to ensure the health of your husband and yourself. Too many fatty cuts of meat and too many rich desserts will be a source of many health problems, and it is important to watch your waistline too." She advised. "A portly wife is not an attractive one."

"I am sure consciousness for my family's health is always at the forefront of my mind." Charlotte replied stiffly.

"Your advice is greatly appreciated Lady Catherine," I thanked. "I, for one, have never been too health-conscious, so I am glad now that my wife can care for me and extend my lifetime of happiness with her." I grinned at Charlotte, but she did not smile back. I wondered why.

"I do, however, hope I can continue to indulge in a nice plum pudding from time to time, for that is my favorite." I said.

"Of course!" Lady Catherine said, "one must be allowed _some_ indulgences. How one could live without their favorite vice is incomprehensible. I myself have a strong preference for brandy. It is my one weakness I allow." She bragged.

Miss de Bourgh spoke up. "I could not fathom a world without chocolate!" It was rare for her to contribute to the conversation, but it always pleased me when she did. She had a sweet spirit. It was a pity her poor health did not allow her to travel in social circles as much as she might like. "A good chocolate cake, or maybe some hand-dipped truffles, that is what I like!" She said.

"A woman after my own heart." Charlotte smiled at Anne. "I too am a self-confessed addict when it comes to chocolate."

Lady Catherine sniffed. "Too much chocolate will make one's face break out with acne. A lady must maintain a clear complexion and avoid foods which aggravate the skin. That is why I do not keep chocolate in my house."

Just then, the dessert course was presented. It was a bread pudding, topped with raspberry preserves and brandy sauce. Lady Catherine took the first bite.

"Now here is an exemplary dessert!" She exclaimed. "The brandy sauce truly brings out the taste of the raspberries, don't you think so, Mr. Collins?"

"Indeed it does!" I replied, tasting my own dish.

"It's a pity there are no fresh raspberries at this time of year."

"Now that I know your ladyship prefers them, I shall be sure to plant some raspberry bushes in my garden early this spring, so that come summer there may be fresh berries abounding." I promised.

Following dessert, Lady Catherine sent us home in her barouche, since it was already dark. Charlotte was quiet during the two-minute ride. When we entered our house and I shut the door behind us, I said to Charlotte, "well, that went rather well, don't you think?"

My wife unleashed a fury I did not see coming.

"Went well? You must be joking! I have never been so insulted in my life!"

I was vastly confused. "Insulted? In what way were you insulted, dear?"

"Lady Catherine is by far the rudest woman I have ever met! In one evening she called me old, insinuated I was fat, and implied that I have a poor complexion!" Charlotte complained.

"How on earth did you derive all that from our conversations?" I asked, still baffled. "She did come right out about your age, I'll give you that. But she credited it as an asset, not a liability. As for the other two items, I think you are seriously overreacting and misinterpreting what Lady Catherine wished to convey."

My words merely added fuel to the fire. "Of course, you would take her side of things!" My wife spat. "You just sat there the whole evening and let her take shots at me, even thanking her for it!"

I was getting angry now too. "I did no such thing! I simply did as I always do in the presence of my betters- to show them proper deference and gratitude. Thank heavens you were at least able to pretend to do that in the home of the woman who has done nothing but provide for us and share her wisdom with us!" I finished.

"Her _unsolicited_ advice." Charlotte pointed out. "Or did you not notice that she had something to say about everything, as if she were the ultimate expert on every subject?"

"It is a flaw of hers, I admit, but as she is my superior, I give her leave to say whatever she wishes in my presence. It is still up to us to decide which of her suggestions we might actually apply to our lives." I tried to explain.

Charlotte just shook her head. "I am too tired for this. I am going to bed."

"Very well." I resigned. "I have some finishing touches to put on my sermon for tomorrow and will be in my study a while. I'll see you in the morning. I must remind you that we need to be at the church by quarter-past seven to prepare for the service." Charlotte acknowledged and went upstairs. I heard the bedroom door shut firmly as I turned to go to my study. "I'll never understand women." I said aloud to myself.

 _Charlotte_

I was so angry when I went to bed that night. After all William had told me about his beloved patroness, I expected her to be a woman of taste and decorum. Instead, she concealed all her condescension behind a thin veil of polite language, and masked her need to control and dominate with a pretense of well-meaning. But William had let me down! I was hurt that he couldn't see how badly I had been treated, and that he had defended Lady Catherine's behavior when he should have been offended for my sake, I thought. I was still grumbling in my head when sleep finally overtook me.

My lady's maid woke me the next morning to dress for church. I looked over at William's side of the bed. He hadn't slept in it. After dressing, I went downstairs, but I couldn't find my husband anywhere. Glancing at the large clock in the hall, I saw that it was already quarter to seven. With just thirty minutes to spare before we were due for worship I wondered where he could be.

I cautiously opened the door to his study. There was my husband, asleep at his desk. I felt a little bad, especially given our argument the night before. How was it we were married only two days, and we were already fighting?

I softly placed a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked up.

"Oh, it's you." William said. He rubbed his eyes. "I must have fallen asleep while working on my sermon. What time is it?" He asked me.

"Almost seven." I answered.

"Goodness!" He exclaimed. "Well, I guess this will have to do, for today." He said in reference to the sermon in his hands. "I'd better hurry and call my valet to come upstairs and help me into some fresh clothes if we aren't to be late."

He got up from the desk and walked past me towards the door, but I caught his hand. He looked back at me, puzzled.

"I'm sorry, William." I said. "For getting angry with you yesterday."

William nodded. "I'm sorry too, that I didn't take your side when you felt your pride was injured." Then he hurried to get ready so we could leave.

The parish church was just next door to the parsonage. Quite convenient, I thought to myself. William busied himself with preparations and supervising the custodian and accolade who also came to serve in the church. Soon, the members of the congregation began to arrive, all in their Sunday best. I saw Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh sit down in the de Bourgh family pew, but I kept my distance. I knew no others of the parish yet, so I found a spot on the far end of the front pew. I could hear others talking about me, and asking each other if I was the parson's new wife, but I did not assert myself to confirm them.

I later found out that the Reverend Collins was known for his long, dry sermons as much as his long, dry speeches. I suppose I should have guessed such, given what I knew about him in our brief time together. Still, I was used to hearing the Word of God move me through eloquent and insightful sermons. Reverend Pearson back home was an excellent speaker who used jokes and anecdotes to further his poignant messages, and I usually found his passages of scripture to be quite applicable to my life.

It was hard to stay awake during my husband's sermon, and I felt his message could have been cut down by at least twenty minute's worth. I was glad when he gave the benediction and the organ started to play so I could get up from my seat. I joined him at the door to the church as he shook hands with the leaving congregation. Of course, everyone wanted to meet me. I met so many new faces and names, I was sure I would not remember them all, and I depended that my husband should remind me of them later.

Lady Catherine invited us to brunch at Rosings on her way out.

"Of course, we would be glad to accept," was William's reply. I was dismayed. Was I to have to endure a repeat of last night's episode again so soon? As soon as the last person had left the church and the custodian was shutting up the building, I said to William under my breath, "I really don't want to go again today to Rosings."

He leaned in and whispered, "trust me my dear, when I say it is necessary, and please be on your best behaviour, no matter what happens, for my sake." He pleaded.

Out of respect for my husband, I agreed.

Brunch followed much the same as the last night's dinner had, with Lady Catherine's mouth opening as a never-ending vat of interfering, busy-bodying, suggestions and offensive remarks. I kept myself calm and collected, turning a thousand cheeks to her brutal sneering. My comfort was in Miss de Bourgh, who it seemed had been longing for a new female companion, and who was happy to keep me occupied in conversation whenever her mother allowed.

As it was daylight, Lady Catherine did not send us home by her carriage, so we set off on foot.

"Remind me again why I must put up with this woman." I said as we walked.

"I would prefer to show you." He replied, heading off in a different direction than our house.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we walked out into the countryside surrounding Rosings Estate.

"You'll see." William took me to a tiny farm on which stood a little shanty. "This is one of our tenant farmer's houses. There are several farms about this size with similar livings on them, all owned by the church."

I saw several children running around barefoot, and the farmer's wife was in the yard feeding the chickens. The farmer himself was mending a pair of boots that looked well past the point that one should try to continue repairing them.

"Families like these can barely afford to survive." William explained. "Because of the generous income Lady Catherine provides, we are able to rent these properties out for a fraction of what they would normally go for. This enables our tenants to keep more of their income, and hopefully use the savings to better their future or at least provide an emergency fund in case of hard times." William went on to say, "without Lady Catherine's support, I would be forced to charge the full rent just so we ourselves could live, and these people would be living month-to-month with nothing to spare. If any disaster befell, they would not be able to afford their rent at all."

I had never considered the benefits or ramifications of having or not having a generous supporter before, but seeing how these people lived put it in sharp perspective for me.

The tenant family invited us to stay for dinner, so we spent the afternoon with them. As I got to know them, I saw that they were a very kind and hardworking family, who were more than willing to share the little that they had. The dinner we had was not much, just some beef and potatoes, but I knew for them it was a lot. William had mentioned that there were several families whose situation was similar to theirs. I realized that, in a way, William considered his ability to subsidize their living as part of his ministry.

I decided then that I needed to do whatever I could to assist my husband in serving his parish and those in need around him. If that included catering to the whims of one Lady Catherine de Bourgh, then so be it. This was the life I had chosen, and I ought to live it.

 _William_

After that first Sunday, I was surprised at the enthusiasm with which my wife threw herself into her new lifestyle. The first week, she accompanied me on my usual rounds to visit the parishioners, so she could get to know them. Then eventually she took over for most of the social calls, freeing me to focus on visiting the sick and those needing my counsel. The children's time was also established in our Sunday services within just a few short weeks. Charlotte had selected "heroes of the Old Testament" as her theme for the year, so I helped her plan a curriculum that would cover one famous Bible story each week, with a scripture memory verse and a short song to help the children remember the main point of each lesson. She seemed very excited to have a special role in the service, and the children all loved her right away, just as I knew they would.

As for our relationship, we got along smoothly. Charlotte always treated me with the utmost respect. Even when I opened my mouth like the big fool I was, she never criticized or admonished me in front of others. If she said anything, she would always wait until we were in private, and then tell me, "you know dear, it might not be a good idea for you to say…" and then fill me in on whatever social cue I had missed.

She had even seemed to make peace with Lady Catherine. I could tell by watching her facial cues that there were plenty of times she resented our patroness' speeches towards us, but she remained polite as always. I tried to be more sensitive to my wife's feelings, and interject as needed on her behalf in front of Lady Catherine, always being careful never to offend the great lady though, of course.

All in all, I couldn't be happier in my new marriage. Little did I know, but trouble was just on the horizon.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello again, faithful readers! Chapter 6 will be one of the more racy chapters in my story- nothing too explicit still, but we will actually see them "do it", so I wanted to give you a fair warning, if you are sensitive about that. Aside from that, please enjoy!**

Chapter 6

 _Charlotte_

Having begun to get settled in my new home, I then looked forward to Lizzy's promised visit. She was planning to come at the beginning of March, accompanied by my father and sister Maria. Originally, Maria was also to stay for six weeks, along with Lizzy, but plans had changed, and now she would be returning home with my father after only a week. My mother was hosting a ball for Emily's coming out, and she needed both her daughters' assistance to plan it. I was a little sad that I would miss the event, for I missed both my sisters, and my mother too. Still, I was very glad for some company from Hertfordshire, and I knew I would greatly enjoy having Lizzy around even after my family left.

The weeks flew by and, before I knew it, the day of our company's arrival was upon us. William was beside himself with excitement, making everything ready. He fussed about like a mother hen, rearranging the sofa cushions just minutes after the maid had straightened them, looking out the window every minute or so to see if they had arrived, and double-triple checking that fresh linens and clean washbasins had been laid out for our guests. Finally, when he had bothered the cook for the third time asking if everything was in order for dinner, she asked me out of exasperation if I might do something about him. I brilliantly suggested that he trim the hedges out front, for that way he could see the moment the carriage drove up. He was pleased, and the servants were grateful to have him out of their hair.

The carriage arrived at the expected time. I eagerly hugged my family and Lizzy.

"I'm so glad to see you all!"

"Welcome to our humble abode!" William greeted my father with a handshake and the ladies with a bow.

"I trust your journey went smoothly." I asked our guests.

"Oh yes," my father answered. "The roads were dry and the weather fair. We did not encounter any delays." He said.

"What a lovely garden you have, Mr. Collins." Maria commented.

"Why thank you, Miss Maria!" My husband beamed. "It is the spring planting season these days, and some of my flowers are just beginning to bloom again."

I showed the guests inside as William kept talking.

"My wife encourages me to spend time in the garden daily, for my health."

I interrupted him. "My dear, I think our guests are tired from their journey."

Father and Maria followed the servants up to their rooms so they could change and rest before luncheon. Lizzy shook her head that she didn't need to. I took her by the hand and led her towards my parlour. Behind me, apparently unaware that we had all left the room, I could hear my husband continue rambling about the garden as he looked out the window. "I plan many improvements. I intend to throw out a bough and plant a lime walk. I flatter myself that any young lady would be happy to be the mistress of such a house."

Lizzy laughed as I shut the door. "I can see that my cousin is the same as ever."

"Yes. Don't worry, we won't be disturbed here."

I poured some tea for Elizabeth. "Oh Lizzy, it's such a pleasure to run my own home!" I exclaimed.

"You look very content, my friend." She said.

"You know, I can honestly say that I am."

"Good. And...how do you manage Mr. Collins?" She asked. "I noticed he mentioned you send him into the garden quite often."

"Mr. Collins and I get along quite fine. It's true we do not spend all day together, but the time we do share, we are always amiable to one another."

"Amiable even in bed?" Lizzy smirked naughtily.

I turned bright red. "Married ladies don't kiss and tell, Elizabeth!" I playfully scolded.

Lizzy was full of mirth. "Why, I think you _like_ Mr. Collins!" She teased.

"He is my husband, after all." I defended. "Besides, he sort of grows on you." I poured some more tea, still blushing.

Elizabeth laughed again. "Grows on you? Like a fungus?"

We were interrupted by William's voice calling me from out the window. "Charlotte? Charlotte, come here!"

I stood up and called back. "What's happened? Has the pig escaped again?" Then I saw out the window. "Oh, it's Lady Catherine. Come and see, Lizzy." My husband came up to the window to talk to me.

"Great news- we've received an invitation to Rosings for Saturday evening." He announced.

"How wonderful." I said with approbation.

William addressed Lizzy. "My cousin, do not make yourself uneasy about your apparel."

"Just put on whatever you've brought that's best," I completed. Goodness, now I was even finishing his sentences!

"Lady Catherine's never been averse to the truly humble." He added.

Dinner with Lady Catherine! How I hated to hear those words just two short months ago. Now, they were such a part of my daily life, that I did not give it a second thought. At least once per week we dined with Lady Catherine. I had discovered that, in spite of her tendency to be a busybody and a condescending know-it-all, she also had the capacity to be gracious and generous. More than once, she sent us home with a large roast or bird for our cook to prepare later in the week. She was also accommodating whenever my husband needed to ask a favor of her, and she frequently offered her resources to us whenever a need presented itself.

 _William_

Lady Catherine was pleasant as always, in my estimation. When we arrived at her home on Saturday, she eagerly inquired after the rest of Charlotte's family, and took time to ask Cousin Elizabeth many questions about her upbringing and family life. She also conversed well with Sir William about the political climate at St. James's, and even took a slight interest in Maria, asking whether she thought, now that her eldest sister is married and her other sister would be coming out soon, whether she might also be introduced to society within the next year.

After a fantastic dinner, we adjourned to the drawing room for cards. The young ladies quickly made up a table for cassino. Miss de Bourgh intended to join them, stating that cassino was her favorite, but her mother called to her, "Anne! Do come join our party over here. I need your partnership at quadrille, for Sir William tells me it is his specialty and I intend to best him." Turning to my wife, she said, "Mrs. Collins, you may join your sister and friend at the other table."

"Yes, your ladyship." Charlotte nodded.

Anne looked quite disappointed, but did not dare disobey her mother. I also sulked inwardly, as I had looked forward to playing against my wife.

As our games progressed, I noticed that our table was rather dull, while the other table seemed to be having great fun. "Ha, that's twenty-one. I win again!" Charlotte cheered.

"Luck is in your favor at the moment, but the tide's about to change!" Elizabeth grinned as she dealt another hand. Maria chimed in. "Yes, this time _I_ will win!" She bragged. Charlotte shook her head. "Not a chance, little sister. Not a chance!"

"Mr. Collins, it is your bid." Lady Catherine turned my attention back to the game at hand.

"Ah, begging your pardon, ladyship. Ten for me."

The lady scoffed, "ten! I suppose you think your luck is as good as your wife's over there."

"Perhaps." I replied. Truth be told, Lady Catherine and her daughter were sorely beating Sir William and me. I tried to pay attention, but the laughter from the other side of the room kept distracting me. The women at our table won, and I had a chance to turn again to face the cassino-playing table. Charlotte's smile was magnetizing, and her laughter like an inviting, babbling brook. I wanted to swim in it all night. I noticed that she seemed like a different person when she was around her sisters or Elizabeth, and I recalled the day I'd seen her playing in the snow. I was envious. Would she ever feel so carefree and playful around me?

She was always cool and polite to me, and I always courteous and genteel. Maybe I was the problem. Maybe I was too dull.

Lady Catherine complained of the late hour, insisting that "Anne must always go to bed on time for the sake of her health". She rang for her carriage to send us home.

I was eager to hear our guests' opinions on Lady Catherine and her incredible house. On the ride home, I turned to my cousin. "Miss Elizabeth, what did you think of Rosings? Is it not the most excellently grand home you have ever seen?"

"It is certainly the largest," Elizabeth admitted.

Sir William contributed to the conversation. "I've been to St. James's, and even their ceilings do not compare to the one's I saw tonight."

Pleased that my father-in-law was impressed with the house, I felt compelled to tell him, "Lady Catherine had her drawing room ceiling imported from Italy; it was originally installed in a Roman cathedral and cost over 3,000 pounds. The one in the dining room originally belonged to a Spanish princess."

"Impressive!" Sir William exclaimed.

"I, for one, was in awe over Lady Catherine." Maria gushed. "Did you see the peacock plumes in her hair and the size of the jewels 'round her neck? But her presence is most terrifying! When we were introduced, I was so sure that I would faint, the way she looked at me with such intimidating scrutiny."

Elizabeth chuckled.

I raised a quizzical brow. "And what was your impression of her ladyship, cousin?"

"Oh. Um. She was very... inquisitive. And knowledgeable, I suppose." Elizabeth weakly allowed.

"To be sure! Lady Catherine is an excellent source of advice on nearly all subjects." I lavished. "More than once, she has taken great pains to illuminate the best way to raise my chickens, for instance, or given instructions for my cook on how to keep our pantry well-stocked and organized. Additionally, she has-"

"My dear, we are already home now." Charlotte interrupted.

"Ah, so we are." I saw that the carriage had indeed stopped already and our guests were only waiting to disembark out of politeness to me. Charlotte was always so helpful in calling my attention back to the present whenever I began to ramble.

Charlotte and I brought up the rear as we went inside. I stole my arm around her and placed my hand in the small of her back.

"You looked quite delightful tonight, my darling." I whispered in her ear.

In the dark, I couldn't see whether or not she blushed, but she leaned in close. "Thank you, dear." She whispered back, and gave me a peck on the cheek, which did make me blush.

Remembering my thoughts earlier, I decided to be a bit playful. In a bold move, I moved my hand downward and gave a quick squeeze. Charlotte jumped and giggled a little. The light from the house was shining on her face by now, so that time I got a good look at how red she was as she hurried into the house ahead of me.

Must be my lucky night tonight, I thought, trying to hide my ecstatic grin as I entered my home.

 _Charlotte_

Having Lizzy and my family around had put me in a perpetual good mood. Even dining with Lady Catherine did nothing to dampen my spirits. My husband must have noticed it too, and decided to capitalize on it. He was certainly *ahem* _amiable_ when we turned in for bed following our guests' first dinner at Rosings...

We dined again with Lady Catherine after church on Sunday, during which time Miss de Bourgh invited Lizzy, Maria and my father to take a tour of the countryside with her the following day; my husband and I too were invited, but declined, having already seen plenty of Kent. They were to head out in the morning, and picnic near - Castle, then spend the afternoon driving round the rest of the countryside before returning to Rosings in time for tea.

Thus, William and I found ourselves left to our own pursuits for the day. I woke in time to see our visitors off in Miss de Bourgh's phaeton, then I retreated to my own parlour. Since the arrival of our guests, I had not been afforded my usual quiet time in the mornings. I typically devoted a half-hour to an hour reading a passage from my Bible, and praying. Then, if time allowed, I would catch up on some other reading or write letters until breakfast. On this particular morning, I was reading from Galatians, and the words reminded me of a hymn I had heard recently. For some reason, I could not recall the tune, though. What was stuck in my head was the song our cook, Mrs. MacDougall, had been singing, "The Water is Wide"-an old Scottish tune. For whatever reason, I decided to try singing the hymn to that tune. Miraculously, the words fit it perfectly.

" _When I survey...the wondrous cross...on which the Prince...of glory died"._ I sang. " _My richest gain,...I count but loss,...and pour contempt...on all my pride."_ The second verse echoed the verse from Galatians 6:14.

" _Forbid it, Lord...that I should boast...save in the death...of Christ my God!...All the vain things...that charm me most,...I sacrifice...them to His blood."_

I was about to launch the third stanza, when suddenly, I heard a conversation happen outside my door.

"Why, Mr. Collins, whatever are you doing lurking outside your wife's door?" The first voice belonged to my housekeeper, Mrs. Perry.

"I, uh, I was...that is to say." I heard William stammer.

"The missus does sing beautifully, does she not?" Mrs. Perry asked.

While this was going on, I stood and opened the door upon my embarrassed husband and the housekeeper, who bore a smirk on her face for having caught him listening to me.

"Charlotte! I wasn't eavesdropping on you!" William lied, then admitted, "Well, at least, not intentionally. It's just that, your voice was so entrancing, like a siren's call. I could not help but want to hear more of it."

Mrs. Perry just smiled and carried on with her duties, leaving the two of us alone.

"It's alright, William." I reassured him. "I was just inspired by some songs I heard recently and the passage out of the Epistles I was reading." I explained. "I'm currently on Galatians".

My husband seemed surprised. "You were reading the Bible?"

I nodded.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be astonished. It is perfectly natural for a Christian woman to be reading from the Holy Scriptures, particularly one who is the wife of a clergyman. After all, it is the duty of every minister's wife to set an example for her parish and to raise godly children in the home. One must be properly equipped for such, I would imagine."

There was an awkward pause. "...yes". I finally agreed.

"But I digress. The reason I happened to be downstairs passing by your door was that I was on my way to the garden." William explained.

I glanced at the clock in the hall. "Is it not later than usual for you to be doing that?"

"A little," he said. "I confess, I did not hear you wake this morning, as I typically do. Thus, I overslept by a bit."

"I see."

"At any rate, a thought occurred to me. If you are finished with your reading and, uh, singing, would you care to assist me in the garden for a change? You may recall the shipment of bulbs that Lady Catherine ordered for me a few weeks ago. Well, they arrived the day before last, and I'm afraid I must get them all into the ground if they are to survive. I could truly use the help." He admitted.

I thought for a moment. "You know, some fresh air would be nice. I would be happy to help you, dear." Donning my apron, I followed him outside.

William showed me the flower beds where he wanted the bulbs planted, and we got to work. Though it was March, the sun was warm, and I began to sweat. I used my arm to wipe my brow.

William glanced at me, then chuckled as he turned back to the flower bed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

I narrowed my eyes and twisted my lips in a mock scowl.

"Your face. You've got a huge streak of dirt across it." He told me.

"Oh, you think you look so much better?" My impish spirit was coming out again. I grabbed a handful of dirt. "I can fix that!" I said, before smearing a big clump across his cheek. His expression was priceless. I began laughing so hard my sides were splitting.

"Oh, you're going to get it now!" He came back at me. I don't know what had gotten into my husband lately, he had a flirtatious side I'd never seen before. He grabbed an even bigger clump of dirt. I foresaw what was coming and began running, laughing all the way. William chased me across the lawn. My skirt slowed me down and he caught me, knocking the both of us to the ground. We tumbled once before I found myself laying in the grass looking up at him.

Both of us suddenly stopped laughing. William gazed intently into my eyes. Then he pressed his lips against mine. For a moment, I was stunned, then I began kissing him back with a passion I didn't know I had.

We paused for breath. "Would you care to move to more comfortable and private quarters, my dear?" William asked. I nodded. Dusting off the dirt and grass, we practically flew into the house and upstairs.

 _William_

My wife did not bother to fully undress. Slipping off her drawers beneath, she hitched up her dress to straddle me. Her driving the reins like this was a new experience for us; one I found incredibly exhilarating. Just being like this was almost enough to push me over the edge already. Trying to make the experience last longer, I distracted myself by daydreaming. I wondered, if I had married Elizabeth as I'd originally intended, would I be this happy, as I was now with Charlotte? Since I'd met her, Elizabeth always seemed so uncomfortable around me. Even now, whenever she spoke to me, I could sense the awkwardness as she struggled to know what to say, and her body language suggested she'd rather be anywhere than there. How could I have once believed her demeanor sprung from shy affection? Thinking about what our lives would be like together, I could not imagine she would be content living under the same roof as me, dining at the same table as me, sharing a bed with me….

 _Oh, Lord!_ I thanked. What Charlotte was doing to me at that moment felt unspeakably good! Would Elizabeth have given me _this_ kind of treatment? Definitely never! I moaned for her to continue. "Oh... _Elizabeth…"_

Charlotte immediately stopped and got off the bed. "What did you call me?" She asked in disbelief. Immediately, I realized what I had said and began cursing myself. "I…." I just stood there with my mouth gaping. No words could come out- it was like I was mute.

Charlotte launched. "We're together, making love, and you're fantasizing about my _best friend?!_ " She began pacing the room angrily. "All this time we've been married, you've still been holding onto feelings for her, is that it?"  
"No!-"

"And while she's a guest in our house, no less!" Stopping to look at me she scoffed, "Elizabeth's room is just down the hall. Are you going to go over tonight and sleep with her too?"

"I would never do such a thing!" I defended.

Charlotte shook her head. "I'm not certain any more. How can I trust anything you say at all? You're apparently able to confuse my name out loud with that of your _lover_." She spat.

I tried desperately to reason with her. "There is nothing between me and Elizabeth. No acts of unfaithfulness have been committed against you."

"Except in your head!" She argued.

"That's not what was happening at all!" I threw myself at her feet. "Charlotte, you are my one and only. My beloved. You're the air I breathe...the ground on which I place my feet-  
"

"Save it." Charlotte interrupted. She quickly pulled her drawers back on. "No amount of grovelling is going to get you out of this one." Grabbing a rag and the washbasin, she wiped her face clean in front of the mirror. Turning back around to me she said, "I can't even stand to look at you right now. I'm going out. Don't expect me back for tea."

"But what shall I tell Lady Catherine? She is expecting us at Rosings."

"Tell her whatever you want. Make up some excuse. You're good at that." With that, she stormed out of the house.

I broke down in tears and collapsed beside the bed. How could this have happened? I cursed myself again and again. Letting my mind wander like that was foolish. But my mouth! It did nothing but get me in trouble, time and time again. Could I but have it sewn shut forever? I felt in that moment that I could easily endure starving to death if it would keep me from ever speaking again, the way my mouth had betrayed me. Would Charlotte ever forgive me after this? How could I possibly make her see that my heart was true to her? I did not know. I could only pray that somehow I could fix this awful mess I had made.

 **A/N: Oh dear! I'm afraid I'll have to make you wait til next week to find out whether or not Mr. Collins can fix the mistake he made! The song Charlotte sings in this chapter was inspired by the arrangement done by Christian singer Chelsea Moon of "When I Survey". You can listen to her sing at www dot youtube dot com /watch?v=ajW0KA2Ti1M (type the first part and then paste the rest of the URL) For some reason, when I was writing this story, I kept singing this song in my head, and I wanted to have Charlotte sing it because I felt like it fits her.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: You waited, and here it is- Chapter 7! Hope last week's cliffhanger has kept you all in suspense!**

Chapter 7

 _Charlotte_

My fury drove me as far away from the parsonage as I could manage on foot. I found myself in the village, wandering aimlessly along the storefronts. I hardly noticed where I was going, my head was so consumed with anger. Just when I thought William and I were starting to mean something to each other- now this! His slip of the tongue had revealed who he was really thinking about when we were together. What's worse, of all people, it had to be Elizabeth he preferred! I'd played second fiddle to her my whole life, but never had I been so envious before as I was right now. I should have known all along that this was coming; after all, I was only his second choice after her. But he swore to me before we were married that he had no feelings for her! He lied to me!

Still, Lizzy was not to blame. I knew she would never intentionally do anything to hurt me. The comment I made about William sleeping with her was more just to rattle him than anything. She certainly would not be a party to such sin- especially given how I knew she felt about my husband! No, this was clearly an unrequited love on his part, as it had been from the beginning.

Because I wasn't watching where I was going, all of a sudden, I ran smack into a young woman as she rounded the corner.

"Oh!" I gasped as we crashed. Her parcels scattered on the ground.

"I'm so terribly sorry!" I apologized, helping her collect her things.

"It's alright," she said, "I'm always clumsy." The woman was a pretty blonde with deep brown eyes. Though I knew most of the villagers, I had never seen her before, and I wondered why.

"Good day." She said, then hurried along. I noticed that several people were watching us, trying to look as though they weren't. I glanced at my reflection in a store window. Goodness, no wonder people were looking! My hair was a mess, the updo rumpled and falling down and a twig leftover from my romp in the garden. My dress was also soiled and wrinkled, leaving much to be desired. Although I had washed my face off before leaving the house, I did not pay much attention to the rest of my appearance, being eager to make my escape. Oh well, not much I can do about it now, I thought.

Deciding I'd rather not encounter anybody I did know who I'd be forced to converse with, I turned and went back home. The parsonage was empty when I returned. William had gone to tea at Rosings, I presumed, and the servants were all elsewhere. Grabbing some books off the shelf, I went upstairs to my bedroom and did not come out the rest of the day.

 _William_

For the next few weeks, Charlotte spoke to me as little as possible in front of our guests, and even less when we were in private. When I returned from Rosings after dinner that fateful day, I was coldly told by her that while we should make every effort to keep up appearances in front of our guests, I should not expect to share a bed. Thus, I slept on the sofa in my dressing room adjacent to our bedroom, so no one would know we weren't sleeping together.

The servants all knew something had happened, for they had heard us shouting, but they hadn't a clue as to what was amiss. I enlisted their help to try to woo my wife back to me. My carnations were now in bloom, so I picked a bountiful bouquet of them. Mrs. Perry had a gift for arranging flowers, so I asked her to make them up for me and deliver them to Charlotte with my note. Our housekeeper politely informed me later that Charlotte had promptly taken the flowers to the rubbish bin. A few days later, I wrote a beautiful poem expressing my sorrows and apologies, and asked the scullery maid to deliver it to Charlotte in her parlour. She later told me she had seen Charlotte burning the paper in the fireplace. Still determined to prove my love and devotion to Charlotte, I sent my valet on an errand to the new confectionery shop that opened up in the village, to bring back the very best truffles he could find. A week later, I found the box by Charlotte's vanity table, still untouched. At least she didn't throw them away; they were bloody expensive! I thought.

Charlotte's father and Maria left on Thursday the week of "the incident", as planned. I don't think either of them suspected anything was wrong between Charlotte and their in-law. As for Elizabeth, I don't know how Charlotte could possibly keep a straight face around her, so she must have seen that something was the matter. I didn't know whether Charlotte had confided in her though, but I guessed not. Surely Elizabeth would have come down hard on me had she known the details of what transpired!

 _Charlotte_

I was determined to put as much distance between myself and my husband as I could, and also to keep him away from Lizzy. I spent the chief of each day with her, hiding out in my parlour with some tea and cookies, taking long walks with her through the extensive groves of Rosings Park, or asking her to accompany me on errands in the village. In my petty mind, I thought that the more I kept Lizzy apart from my husband, the more it would pain him.

Of course, necessity demanded that I sometimes accompany him to visit Rosings, or to pay call to one of our parishioners, who I had seen less of on account of our having company, but who still occasionally needed our attention. For these trips, I suggested to my husband that Lizzy need not join us. I was surprised that he readily agreed. Elizabeth also did not seem to mind in the least being left behind, telling us she enjoyed the solitude and rest.

More than once, Lizzy asked me if something had happened between myself and Mr. Collins, but I always denied it, and she didn't press further. I think she could sense that things were different, but at least had the common decency to know not to pry too hard into another person's married life. I did not under any circumstances want her to know the truth of the matter, for she would certainly blame herself, and I couldn't have that.

The second half of Lizzy's visit was punctuated by the arrival at Rosings of Lady Catherine's nephews: the illustrious Mr. Darcy, and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. My husband went to Rosings to properly greet them, and when he returned, they accompanied him. I was certain it was because Mr. Darcy had heard that Lizzy was staying with us and wished to see her. I could think of no other reason for him to give us the honor of his calling on us, given how little he knew us. I thought that perhaps it might not be too late for Lizzy to capture this handsome gentleman for her own after all, if only she would let go of her pride over the one silly comment he had made the night of their first introduction. Then again, his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam wasn't so bad to look at either, and he was very charming and friendly. He wasn't nearly as fabulously wealthy as Mr. Darcy, but he had a solid and respectable position with the military which had him well-set for the remainder of his life. If Lizzy could not see Mr. Darcy as a kind and gentle man, albeit a bit shy, perhaps she might be more tempted by the outgoing colonel.

I spoke to Lizzy about this one day while we were sitting in my parlour. "Lizzy," I said, "have you noticed that both Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam have called on us rather frequently since their arrival?"

Lizzy shrugged. "I presume that they wish to escape from their aunt's pretentious meddling, and that they find the company here to be more pleasant."

"I would agree. But I think the company they find to be most pleasant would be yours." I pointed out. Elizabeth was quick to disagree.

"They can have no particular preference to me. I'm sure it is because you are a gracious host, and because even Mr. Collins' nonstop chatter is better than feeling the weight of Lady Catherine's opinions."

Truth aside, I pressed on, "still, I wonder, if you were to choose one of them to particularly recommend yourself to, which would it be?"

Lizzy laughed. "Naturally, Colonel Fitzwilliam is the more amiable of the two. I cannot help feel whenever Mr. Darcy is near that he is aloof and somber, and that he somehow considers himself to be above us."

"So you prefer the colonel?" I asked.

Lizzy nodded. "He is quite handsome and charming, you know."

"Do you suppose that he might have taken a fancy to you?" I suggested.

"Nonsense!" Lizzy laughed again. "I can see no reason to believe that Colonel Fitzwilliam has any partiality towards me, or that he ever shall."

"Still, I see no reason why you could not have him in your power, if you so desired."

"It is up to the gentleman to pursue me, if he wishes. I will not go throwing myself at him and making a fool of myself." Lizzy insisted.

"What about Mr. Darcy then? Surely you must have noticed he appears quite keen on you."

"That, Charlotte, is a most ridiculous notion!"

"Not at all."

"Charlotte, why are you so determined to marry me off to someone or other?" Lizzy demanded.

"Because surely you must see the advantage for a woman of your station to be comfortably situated. It's my firm belief that you could have any man you wanted. It certainly seems that no matter where you go, you are every man's first choice." My last comment came out much more bitterly than I wanted it to.

Lizzy seemed confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"First Mr. Collins, then Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, and I'm pretty sure Colonel Fitzwilliam would fancy you too if you only encouraged him a little." I started to choke up a little.

"Charlotte," Lizzy chose her words carefully, "are you upset because your husband first made an offer of marriage to me?"

I didn't respond to her.

Lizzy continued, "You know perfectly well that I never cared for him one bit, nor encouraged him in any way."

"I know you didn't." I said softly, wiping my eyes with a handkerchief. "It's just that… I think my husband may still prefer you over me. Much like how I married him because I needed someone to be my husband and provider, he only married me because you turned him down, and he still needed someone to fill the role of 'wife' in his job as a minister." I decided to stick with my resolution and not give any more details than that.

"Now, you know that is not true." Elizabeth insisted. "I have seen the way that Mr. Collins looks at you. He has never once looked at me that way, not even when he was proposing. Now, I don't know what's happened between you two, but I can tell you this: Mr. Collins _very much_ loves you and wants to make things right with you."

"You think he...loves me?" William had made many professions of love to me, but I always played them off as his attempt to be amiable or as mere infatuation.

Lizzy placed her hand upon my shoulder. "I think you need to open your eyes and see that there is more between the two of you in this marriage than just a business arrangement."

I still wasn't sure if I was ready to forgive my husband yet, but Lizzy's words had given me much to think about.

 _William_

Easter had passed, and still Charlotte wasn't speaking to me. We frequently had guests calling in the form of one or both of Lady Catherine's nephews, an honor which pleased me to no end. When they weren't visiting us, we also often saw the both of them at Rosings whenever we were invited there.

On one of the evenings when we were at home with no guests, excepting Elizabeth, of course, I suggested that perhaps I might read aloud by the fireside. Charlotte nodded her consent. But Elizabeth made excuse that she was tired and wished to retire early and bid us goodnight. I cannot say I was disappointed to have some time alone with my wife.

Charlotte settled into her chair with her embroidery basket, and I picked up my copy of Fordyce's off the shelf.

Charlotte sighed. "Don't you think, just for once, we might read something else?" She asked. I was surprised at her objection, but willing to concede, I closed the book. "Certainly, my dear. Do you have any suggestions?"

I think she was a little stunned that I was willing to put away my favorite book for a change. She blinked a couple of times. "Um...how about you read from...the Bible? Surely there can be no better book on the subject of moral living than that."

"How right you are, Charlotte." I approved. "Do you have any particular passage you wish me to read from?" I asked as I settled into my own chair with my copy of the Good Book in hand.

She shook her head. "Just pick something out. Anything will do."

I allowed the book to fall open where it willed. It landed on the passage of poetry written by King Solomon and his bride to each other.

"How about the Song of Solomon?" I asked Charlotte.

"Truthfully, I'm not sure I've read much of that one. I think the one time I did, I found it all confusing and silly. As I recall, the man compared the woman's hair to a flock of goats, and her eyes to pigeons, did he not?" She laughed aloud.

I grinned. "They were doves, but yes, he did. It's actually an incredibly romantic book, if one understands the meaning behind the symbolisms." I tried to explain.

"Well, maybe as a minister of the Word, you can illuminate me on the subject." She suggested.

I picked up reading right where the pages had opened. It was the story in chapter five, when the couple has a fight. How appropriate right now, I thought.

"I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, 'Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.'

'I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?'

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer."

Charlotte interrupted me. "I don't understand any of that. 'My bowels were moved for him?' It sounds like this man has just given her a massive case of diarrhea."

I shook my head. "She's not speaking of intestinal complaints. The Hebrews believed that the seat of a person's emotions was in their abdomen, or bowels. In today's terms, we might say 'my heart was moved'. What's happening here," I explained, "is that there is a conflict going on between them. While we're not told the nature of their previous argument, it is evident that when the husband, Solomon, comes to his wife's bedroom, she is angry and refuses to admit him." In my mind, I felt exactly like the husband in this case.

I continued. "But he treats her gently, and afterwards, she is moved and wants to reconcile with him, but he has left."

Charlotte seemed very curious. "What happens in the rest of the story?" She asked.

"Well, she goes out looking for him, and the daughters of Jerusalem ask her why she loves him, and how to find him, so she goes on to give them a head-to-toe description of his physical appearance, in which each trait is a symbol for one of his character traits.

"Does the couple reconcile?" Charlotte wanted to know.

"Yes." I said. "She finds him in his garden, and he quotes back to her almost word-for-word the prose from their wedding night."

I flipped the page to the next chapter.

"Here, listen to this:

'Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.  
Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.'"

Charlotte laughed. "I still think she must have found him to be rather silly and ungainly, for him to be comparing her features to goats, sheep, and pomegranates!"

Not unlike myself, I thought. "Yes, I can see how he might sound foolish to us, but these were terms she would have understood as valuable goods. Furthermore, many people believe each item is symbolic for something else; although no one quite agrees on the exact meaning. But one thing is certain, his speech to her was very provocative and romantic."

Charlotte looked unsure. I decided to take it a step further.

"Here, let me show you, using the passage a few chapters back from their wedding night." I stood and went to Charlotte's side. She looked full of trepidation.

"Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks". I stroked the front of Charlotte's hair gently with the back of my hand. In the soft glow of the firelight, her eyes glimmered. I pulled her to her feet in front of me. "Thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead." Grasping the pins holding her hair, I let it tumble down her back. I ran my fingers through the thick waves spilling over her shoulders. Charlotte stared into my eyes, completely spellbound.

I went on. "Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them." Charlotte smiled, showing me her own beautiful teeth. My heart pounded within me. Could she possibly be ready to forgive me? I kept going with a renewed hope. "Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely" Her mouth parted. I ran my thumb across her lower lip, aching to kiss her so badly, but not daring to. I settled for kissing her forehead once on each side, saying, "Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks."

Coming behind her and moving downwards, I began to nibble at her neck. Perhaps Charlotte was reminded of our wedding night, as I was. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tilted her head to allow me greater access. I whispered in her ear, "Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men." I continued planting kisses down the length of her neck. I was surprised she was so receptive to all this. Tingling with excitement, I moved to the next portion as I embraced her from behind.

"Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense." Charlotte moaned as I cradled her bosom.

"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards." As I said this, my voice was getting husky. I felt like my marriage had been thrown in the lion's den. I wanted nothing more than to come out of there and back to the safety we had before. My words caught in my throat, and I couldn't continue.

Charlotte turned to face me again, just as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"Oh, Charlotte," I pleaded, "when will you see, there has never been another for me but you?"

She was getting choked up now too. "I believe you, William. I'm so sorry I doubted you."

"I'm sorry I gave you cause to doubt me." With that, our lips met, our kiss mingled with the salty tears running down our faces.

I hugged Charlotte close and buried my face in her shoulder. In my ear, she whispered the words I'd been longing to hear for the first time. "I love you, William."

I put my hand to her cheek tenderly. "I love you too. Truly, I do, beloved." Kissing her once more, I scooped her into my arms and carried her upstairs.

Some time later, I came out of my dressing room after changing into my nightclothes. I saw Charlotte sitting on the bed still undressed, snacking on the box of chocolates I had purchased, and I smiled. Yes, I thought, things were once again well in my marriage.

 _Charlotte_

As we climbed into bed to go to sleep later that night, I snuggled close to William. He leaned over and kissed me.

"Are you happy, my dear?' He asked.

"Mm, yes, very." I nodded.

"You know," I said playfully, "you are very good at explaining the Bible, Reverend Collins."

"Why yes, Mrs. Collins. After all, I am an ordained minister." He played along.

"I don't believe you finished your exposition of the Song of Solomon." I pointed out with a smile.

"Unfortunately, madam, I beg leave to defer the remainder of that study for another night. I do have to give a sermon in the morning." He reminded me with a wry grimace.

"Alright, dear." I said. Kissing him, I bid him "goodnight."

He nestled down in the bed and fell asleep in minutes.

I lay awake awhile, my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and his faint snoring . How I had missed this kind of closeness in the past month! More than anything, the recent distance between us had revealed to me the depth of my feelings. I wasn't sure exactly when it happened, but I had fallen in love with this man I had married. I knew that by telling him tonight that I loved him, I had brought great joy to William, and our relationship was on a whole new level.

Finally, I drifted off, and enjoyed the best night's sleep I'd had in weeks.

 _William_

The next morning was Sunday, so naturally, I was in the pulpit. My mind was not on my sermon though. Charlotte was sitting on the front pew right in my line of sight, and I could not get my eyes, nor my mind, off of her. Our passionate reconciliation the night before kept playing in my head. I tried to force myself to deliver my sermon properly.

My topic that morning was about Christian discipleship and the importance of having a mature Christian mentor in one's life.

"Every mind must have some counsellor to whom it may apply for consolation in distress. There are many conveniences which others can supply and we cannot procure. I have in view those objects which are only to be obtained through intercourse-"

I paused with a gasp as I realized my blunder. Outside, thunder rumbled, indicating a storm was beginning. I hurried along in my message, hoping no one had noticed. "Forgive me, through _the_ intercourse of friendship or civility." I glanced at Charlotte. She was staring at me, I could only presume, with pure mortification. How she managed to keep her face so straight I'll never know. Perhaps the woman could have been an actress, in an alternate lifetime. At any rate, it seemed the rest of my congregation was too bored to have noticed my slip of the tongue, so I continued.  
"On such occasions, the proud man steps forth to meet you not with cordiality, but with the suspicion of one who reconnoitres an enemy…"

After the service, Charlotte sidled up next to me. In between my greeting church members, she whispered in my ear, "nice save, Reverend, on your point about the _intercourse_ of friendship and civility".

My ears turned pink. So she had heard me! Trying hard not to blush, I said nothing back, but kept shaking hands with the parishioners. I saw Charlotte laughing to herself as she walked off to greet one of the ladies.

 **A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Laura Schiller, whose story "My Dear" was a huge inspiration to me. s/6077884/1/My-Dear I also mention pastor Tommy Nelson, whose video series on the Song of Solomon illuminated for me the true passion and beauty of this cryptic book of the Bible.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Chapter 8 begins a new plot arc. We'll begin seeing some new characters in the next few weeks, as well as some exciting developments. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8

 _Charlotte_

The end of Lizzy's six-week stay came all too quickly. I was so sorry to see her go, and knew I would miss her sorely once again.

During the last couple of weeks, she had seemed rather out of sorts. I wondered if it could be caused by the departure of Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam from Rosings. Lizzy would not say a word on the subject, even when I asked her.

On her last day, William was to drive her into Westerham in his gig, where she would catch the stage to Bromley and be met by her uncle's manservant to convey her the rest of the way to London.

I bid her farewell from our home that morning.

"You must promise to write to me." I begged Lizzy.

She gave me a tight squeeze. "Of course, Charlotte. Thank you so much for hosting me in your home."

"You are welcome back anytime you should wish to escape the scenery in Hertfordshire." I offered.

"Thank you, Charlotte. And you know you and Mr. Collins are welcome to visit us anytime as well. I'll ask my father to formally invite you both soon, and I'll make sure Mama puts you up in our best guest room, no excuses!"

I laughed. "I'm sure she would put us in the barn if she could."

Lizzy imitated her mother, "oh, but Mr. and Mrs. Collins can have no need for such a spacious room. Why, any room in the house ought to do, even the servant's quarters. For that matter, they might be just as comfortable sleeping with the horses where there is fresh hay and a clean water trough!" She mocked.

Still laughing, I said, "I'm sure my own mother will be happy to put me up, so you needn't worry about us, but it would be funny to see your mother's reaction if it were suggested we might stay at Longbourn."

Hugging me again, Lizzy said, "I shall dearly miss you, Charlotte."

"And I you." I said.

At that moment, my husband emerged from the carriage house, bringing round the gig.

"Cousin Elizabeth, Charlotte, I'm afraid it is time for you to be parted. Elizabeth, we must get you to your stage." She nodded and climbed into the gig and they were off.

I returned to my parlour. Elizabeth had been quite the catalyst in my marriage during her visit, I recollected. First, in being the unwitting object to come between William and I, but even more to be the one who prompted me to consider the true feelings we shared for each other. I owed her a great deal.

She was very pleased to observe that things had gotten back on track between William and myself. I recalled the morning after our reconciliation, I was sitting at the breakfast table with her, when she commented on the subject.

"So, I noticed Mr. Collins whistling when I passed by him on the stair today. I take it you two are on friendly terms again?"

I nodded. "Very _amiably_ ," I smiled, referencing our inside joke.

"Oh, even better!" Lizzy laughed. "I am glad you have worked out whatever had come between you."

"Me too." I replied. "I can honestly say, things have never been better."

Lizzy grasped my hand. "Oh Charlotte, I know I had some misgivings before when you and Mr. Collins first got engaged, but I was wrong. You are both so suited for one another, like two peas in a pod."

I took the opportunity to tease, "oh, so now you think me an over-talkative fool too?"

"No!" Lizzy gasped with a laugh. "I only meant, you balance each other out. Mr. Collins' manners are much more tempered as of late. He talks less, and when he does speak, fewer ridiculous things come out of his mouth."

"And what of me?" I wanted to know.

"As for you," she continued, "I think your husband has brought out your romantic side."

Thinking about our reading of the Song of Solomon the night before, I said, "perhaps you're right." I blushed slightly, and sipped my coffee.

"At any rate, I hope the two of you will cherish each other for many years to come." She wished.

"Thank you. Now we just need to find a man who loves you most ardently! I can see more than ever that you are a hopeless romantic, and nothing less than true love would induce you to accept a man."

Lizzy laughed. "And who would such a man be?"

"I don't know," I said, "but I can picture you, standing under some garden folly in the pouring rain while he madly professes his love for you."

"Ha, as if! It's more likely I'll be sitting by myself on a Thursday and he'll barge in awkwardly and confess to me in a most blathering fashion!" Lizzy postulated.

We had no more time to speculate on either hypothetical situation.

William entered to tell us church would be starting soon, so we left the breakfast table to fetch our bonnets, and that was the end of our conversation.

 _William_

With the last of our guests gone, things were quiet at the parsonage as we resumed our daily routines in a peaceful fashion.

I found, though, that I had a renewed desire to spend as much time with my wife as I could.

One morning, when Charlotte was in her parlour, I decided I would rather be with her than alone in my garden. I hesitated outside her door. This was her special sanctuary, and I didn't want to go against my promise to her and invade it. Finally, I knocked.

"Come in." I heard her reply. Surprised, I opened the door.

"Good morning, dear." Charlotte greeted.

"Good morning." I returned. Charlotte had her Bible open again on her lap. Oh dear, I had interrupted her personal study time. I stood for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Charlotte broke the silence. "Is there something you wanted to ask me, William?"

"I'm sorry," I said, "I've interrupted you. I'll come back."

"It's alright. I'm just reading out of 2 Timothy today. Would you like to join me?" She welcomed, patting the spot next to her on the settee.

"Certainly." I replied, joining her.

We read through the passage together out loud, and then had a lively discussion about the meaning of some of the parts of it. I was astonished that she took such an active interest in studying the scriptures in this way, and that she came at our debate with a fair amount of knowledge on the Bible as a whole. She was easily able to reference other relevant passages and quote then from memory. Here is a woman who is truly a devoted Christian, I thought.

When we concluded our discussion, we prayed together. Once more, I was surprised. I had always viewed God as high and mighty, fearsome to behold, and myself as humble servant, a lowly worm below, and thus my prayers reflected this. Charlotte treated the Heavenly Father as if He were her best friend, and spoke to Him in a familiar way, like a loving daughter.

I was a minister of the Gospel, one whom people looked to as their spiritual advisor. I was supposed to be closely connected to God. Yet I found myself desiring the intimacy Charlotte had in her walk with the Lord, something I felt I was missing in my own life.

Then Charlotte put me on the spot.

"How did you know that you were called into ministry as a clergyman?" She wanted to know.

"To be honest, I'm not sure I ever felt 'called', per se". I told her. "The church was just something I chose because I needed a respectable profession. I have no land, except what I will someday inherit from the Bennet's, and I didn't want to go into law, or the military. I considered becoming a doctor, but I can't stand the sight of blood. So, since I'd grown up in the church my whole life, it made sense to pursue a degree in theology and divinity when I applied to Oxford." I finished.

"I see." Charlotte nodded. I was grateful she did not query me further on the subject.

I felt bewildered and confused. Little did I know, my faith would soon be challenged in far greater ways than this.

 _Charlotte_

One morning in May, William and I were planning to go to the village together to complete some errands. But William got called at the last minute to visit one of our parishioners who was ill and had taken a turn for the worse, so I set out for the village alone.

The weather was warm and fine for walking. As I neared the town, I came upon Mrs. Barnes and her young son Robbie, who frequently participated in my children's time in church.

"Good morning Mrs. Barnes, good morning Robbie!" I greeted.

"Good morning Mrs. Collins." They both returned.

Robbie was eager to show me something he'd found. "Look Mrs. Collins, I found a shiny penny on the sidewalk!"

I crouched down to his level.

"Very pretty. That's good luck, you know?"

"That's what Mama said too!" Robbie cried eagerly.

"Will I see you on Sunday? We're going to learn about 'Daniel in the Lion's Den'; it will be very exciting!" I promised.

His mother nodded as I stood up. "Yes, we expect to be there, Mrs. Collins."

"Wonderful! See you soon." I smiled and continued on my way.

I had originally volunteered for the children's time to please my husband, since he seemed so keen on the idea, and to prove to Lady Catherine that I was up to snuff in my new role as the minister's wife. I didn't expect I would enjoy it so much. Yet I had grown to love each of the children who participated, and looked forward to planning their short Bible lesson each week. Truth be told, I had never had a role in the church before. Growing up in my parent's congregation in Hertfordshire, I had been content to be a regular attender, and I felt like I had graduated, in a way, to now have an active part in the ministry.

My first errand that morning was the draper, to order some new dresses. As I approached Emerson's Fine Tailoring, the blonde woman I'd seen a few weeks ago emerged. She was carrying a large bundle of beautiful silk fabrics, taffetas, and lace.

I gave her a friendly greeting. "Hello again, good to see you!"

She nodded back politely. "Thank you. It's nice to see you as well. I hope you are doing well."

"I am." I replied. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Charlotte Collins. My husband is the local parson."

"You may call me 'Vanessa'." The woman replied. "I'm sorry, I would shake your hand, but as you can see, my arms are full at the moment."

"Not to worry," I smiled. "I understand."

"Well, have a good day Mrs. Collins." Vanessa bid me, then continued on her way.

As I entered the store, I saw another of my acquaintances, Mrs. Spencer, who had apparently been watching my exchange through the window as she browsed for fabrics.

"Good morning, Mrs. Spencer." I said to the middle-aged woman.

She scowled at me in return. "I cannot believe you would associate with that woman." She said, referencing Vanessa.

I was slightly offended. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware it was your business whom I choose to associate with."

Mrs. Spencer just sniffed. "I just expected the 'missus parson' would have better taste, being a woman of God and all. Good day." With that, she left the store.

Mr. Emerson, the tailor, chuckled behind me. Apparently, he had witnessed everything.

"Don't pay her any mind, Mrs. Collins. She's been known in these parts as one of the biggest snobs around for many a year."

Maybe she's related to Lady Catherine, I thought to myself with an inward laugh. I was still curious about my new friend though.

"Who is that blonde woman, Vanessa, who just came from your store?" I asked Emerson.

"Vanessa? Oh, she's a colorful character alright."

"I noticed she was wearing a very fine dress, although it is daytime, and that she was purchasing so many beautiful fabrics from you."

"Aye, she makes up most of her own gowns, that one does. Such beautiful handiwork! She could give me a run for my money if she ever opened up a shop of her own." Emerson said.

A thought occurred to me. "With such beautiful clothes as that, could she possibly be an opera singer, or perhaps an actress? Is that why Mrs. Spencer considers her disreputable?"

Emerson shook his head. "She's certainly pretty enough, to be sure. Unfortunately, the only audience she performs for are the ones that pay her a call upstairs at the Drunken Skunk."

A prostitute! So that's why Mrs. Spencer looked down on me for talking to her. This girl was one of the ones living in the brothel above the seedy tavern near the edge of town.

"She may be a 'working girl', but that's no reason to shun her." I said to Mr. Emerson.

"Certainly. She's one of my best customers. As long as she pays me, I've got no complaints about her. But some folks 'round here don't think that way. They don't want to associate with a 'fallen woman'." Emerson said. I understood.

I selected some nice fabrics- a floral print linen for daytime, and a grey-blue taffeta for one of our many evenings at Rosings, and chose the designs with Emerson's help. He promised both dresses would be ready for the first fitting in a few weeks, and I put down a deposit before I left.

I finished the rest of my errands for the day, and was on my way home, when I passed by the Drunken Skunk.

That's where Vanessa must live, I thought, looking up to the windows on the floors above the tavern. I shuddered to think about the sin that went on there on a regular basis. As I stood there, a buxom redhead passed by, dressed in scarlet and purple silks with feathers in her hair.

She must be one of Vanessa's fellow workers, I guessed. The woman did not go through the main door, but skirted the side of the building. I casually followed her and saw her climb the stairs behind the building. Their apartments must have a back entrance, I presumed.

I decided in that moment that I wanted to call on Vanessa. Cautiously, I climbed the stairs and knocked at the door. A minute later, a gorgeous brunette answered.

"Can I help you?" She asked, seeming annoyed by my presence.

"I'm here to see Miss Vanessa. Is she in?"

The brunette blinked a couple of times. "Sure. Although I'm not sure she caters to women."

"Oh, I'm not a customer!" I gasped, shocked that she would think that was possible. "Just a friend coming to call."

"Oh. Begging your pardon ma'am… it's just that we don't get many visitors here, except for our patrons." She showed me to Vanessa's room.

"Ness!" She called. "Someone here to see you!" The brunette continued down the hall to her own room. I hoped Vanessa wasn't entertaining anyone at the moment.

Vanessa opened her door.

"Mrs. Collins...what a surprise!" Vanessa recovered quickly from her shock. "Won't you come in?"

We sat down at a small table and chairs by the window.

"I'm sorry, I don't have much to offer you, just some tea and biscuits." Vanessa apologized.

"Tea and biscuits will be fine." I assured her. She rang for some hot water. While she fixed the tea, I studied the room.

The large bed was the prominent feature. I tried hard not to look at it, knowing it would make me think of things that went on there. Additionally, there was a wardrobe, a dresser, and a vanity with a gilded mirror. Vanessa kept her tea things and biscuits in a small cabinet next to the table.

"So, Mrs. Collins, to what do I owe this honor?" Vanessa asked as she poured my tea.

"Please, call me 'Charlotte'." I begged, wanting to put us on equal footing since I did not know her last name.

"Alright, Charlotte, what brings you to my little room this fine afternoon?"

"Ah, well… As the minister's wife, I make an effort to get to know all my neighbors, and to pay a call whenever I make a new acquaintance," was my excuse.

"You can imagine how surprised I was." Vanessa said. "It's not so often that an upstanding Christian woman, let alone the parson's wife, comes to visit one of us." She said in reference to herself and her comrades.

I did not let that dissuade me. "Nevertheless, I felt beholden to come and further our acquaintanceship, and to invite you to come to church for Sunday worship."

Vanessa laughed. "I'm not so certain I would be welcome in your little parish. Aren't my lot what your kind call a 'black sheep' or one with a 'scarlet letter'?" She asked.

"Our doors are open to anyone. I know I, for one, would welcome you, and I'm sure my husband would also." I tried to reassure her.

Vanessa did not say whether she meant to accept my invitation, but my welcoming her seemed to open her up to me. We spent a nice time chatting for a while, and when it was time to leave, she invited me to come again sometime, if I wished.

I paid her another visit a few days later, and again the following week. By my third visit, she was beginning to share with me details of her past, and how she came to be in her current situation.

Vanessa had grown up in another town about thirty miles away. Her father left her mother when Vanessa was very young. When her mother became very ill, they had to borrow money from a creditor who was a bad man. After her mother died, and it became apparent that Vanessa could not pay back the debt, the creditor sold it to his friend, the owner of the Drunken Skunk, a sleazy man named Mr. Bartleby.

Mr. Bartleby gave Vanessa a choice, she could work off her debt by coming to live at the tavern as a maid, or continue to pay interest on it at an exorbitant rate. Once she was hired on as a maid though, he continued to make her life miserable, promising that her debt could be paid off faster and her life would be much happier if she would just agree to become one of his working girls instead. Finally, Vanessa caved in. She was seventeen at the time.

My heart ached for this girl, who looked like she was still no older than about twenty or twenty-one. I wondered if there was anything I could do to help her in her situation.

I was sitting at home that evening, waiting until William came home from tea at Rosings, so I could ask his advice on the matter, when he came through the door angrily.

"Charlotte, I have heard a report about your company and whereabouts of a most alarming nature, which I am greatly hoping you can contradict!"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Chapter 9 is up! Enjoy!**

Chapter 9

 _William_

I remember the day I first heard of Charlotte's conduct. I had been invited to tea by Lady Catherine, as I often was. Charlotte was out again. She had been visiting many parishioners as of late. Thus, I went to Rosings alone that day.

Lady Catherine's face bore a scowl that I knew could only mean trouble when I walked into the drawing room. She allowed me to be seated before she began.

"Mr. Collins, are you aware of your wife's whereabouts at the moment?" She asked me.

I shook my head. "I know only that she is out paying calls, your ladyship."

"You do not know to whom she is paying these calls?"

I was very puzzled. "If not to our neighbors in the parish, then I am certain I do not know." I was beginning to get very worried.

Lady Catherine cleared her throat. "Mr. Collins, my housekeeper's sister has a friend in the village, a Mrs. Thompson, whose shop faces that vile tavern, the Drunken Skunk." Lady Catherine made a face as if she were smelling a skunk right then.

"She insists that your wife was seen three times in the past week entering or emerging from that establishment."

I was astonished. "Surely there must be some mistake." I insisted. I was fully aware of the kind of debauchery that went on in that place, including the brothel upstairs.

"No, Mr. Collins, my housekeeper herself said she saw Mrs. Collins on one of those occasions, when she was at Thompson's store. Furthermore," Lady Catherine went on, "another friend of mine, Mrs. Spencer, mentioned to me the other day that she had seen Mrs. Collins talking to a woman of questionable character who works at the tavern. When I referenced Mrs. Thompson's observations, it was her estimation that this must be the person on whom your wife has been calling on at that wretched place."

I was greatly disturbed by all this, but did not wish to suppose it could be true. I sipped my tea in solemn silence.

Lady Catherine wanted to be certain I knew what I ought to do. "Mr. Collins, you know that you must confront your wife on this matter and put a stop to these meetings. It is unseemly for the wife of a clergyman to be cavorting with wayward women or to be seen frequenting a house of sin."

I did not answer, so she continued. "Or do you not know that the conduct of a minister's wife reflects on the minister, and his ability to shepherd his flock? If a minister cannot control his own wife, then he is not fit to lead his church." Her words had made me angry, but how could I refute them without knowing whether there was any truth to the matter?

"Forgive me, Lady Catherine, but I must go." I stood up and bowed, then hastily fetched my hat.

"Certainly. I do hope you'll come again once your wife has been brought back under your charge." The great lady bade.

I hurried home as quickly as I could. I burst through the door like a madman. Charlotte was in her chair in the sitting room.

"Charlotte, I have heard a report about your company and whereabouts of a most alarming nature, which I am greatly hoping you can contradict!" I bellowed.

My wife's alarm was obvious. "What do you mean?" She arched back from me weakly.

"Have you, or have you not, been consorting with a...with a... _harlot_ and frequenting a brothel?" I was shaking, I was trying so hard to contain my fury. I desperately prayed that what Lady Catherine had said wasn't true.

Charlotte took a deep breath, as if she were bracing herself for what would follow.

"I have made friends with a young woman whose...misfortunes have led her to an occupation she would not otherwise choose for herself. The woman in question does indeed work at the Drunken Skunk."

I forced myself to pace the floor and count to four before responding, to let off some steam. "And pray, what would induce you to visit a woman of such questionable character at her place of work, let alone associate with her at all?" I demanded coolly. "How did you even meet her?"

"I met Vanessa a couple of times in the village, and when I found out who she was and what she did for a living, I somehow felt compelled to reach out to her and befriend her." Charlotte explained.

I frowned. "So you knew the sinful lifestyle she led before you began visiting her?" I had hoped Charlotte had merely been ignorant of her new friend's line of work before she had called on her a few times.

Charlotte nodded. "Yes. But you must know, she is a slave to her trade. I was actually planning to seek your advice on how we might help this girl." Charlotte related the young woman's sad tale to me. As sorry as I was to hear it, I was not moved in the same way Charlotte was.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry my dear. It is unfortunate that this woman felt she had no other option but to live a life of ongoing sin and depravity, but you must see how inappropriate it is for you, as a Christian woman and the wife of a parson, to be seen visiting her at this bed of immorality."

"Very well. I will not visit her at the Drunken Skunk again." Charlotte said with a gleam of determination in her eye. I felt she was leaving herself a wide loophole and I sought to close it.

"Furthermore," I said, "I must insist that you dissolve this acquaintanceship entirely."

Charlotte stood and looked me squarely in the eye. "That is something I cannot do." She insisted.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I cannot simply abandon this woman."

"She is a harlot and a sinner!" I was beginning to get angry again.

"We are _all_ sinners!" Charlotte retorted.

"Yes, but we don't all choose to wallow in our immoral lifestyle the way this woman does!"

Charlotte wasn't dissuaded. "She may yet become a believer and leave her old life behind, if only someone would help her and show her some compassion, instead of judgement! Were not Rahab and Mary Magdalene prostitutes as well, before they became followers of the Lord?"

"It is not up to you to save every lost person in the world." I argued.

"You're right," Charlotte answered, "but is it not my duty to rescue as many souls as I can?"

"Your _duty_ , wife, is to respect and submit to your husband!" I began pacing the floor again, Lady Catherine's words ringing in my mind and making me fearful. "There are other issues at stake here, madam, besides this woman's predicament. Your refusal to submit to my authority reflects badly on me. Lady Catherine has intimated that if I am unable to control my own wife, that I could very well lose my position as rector of this parish."

Charlotte's face was livid. "Control me? So that's the issue isn't it? Lady Catherine wants you to be a little copy of herself, able to dominate everyone around you, even your own wife. And because she controls _you_ , she can control everyone beneath you too- A master puppeteer!" Charlotte walked to the entrance of her parlour.

"I'm sorry, William," she said sternly, "but you cannot control me or who I choose to be friends with." Then she shut the door to her room firmly.

I was seriously tempted to barge in after her, but something stopped me. At any rate, I was too angry and hurt to continue talking to her for the time being. I knew using the word "control" in our conversation was a bit much; after all, it wasn't my intention to domineer over my wife. Still, a wife is supposed to respect and submit to her husband, isn't she? Yet Charlotte had completely disregarded my requests! I had never felt so disrespected in all my life.

 _Charlotte_

Who does my husband think he is? I thought to myself angrily. Where does he get off trying to determine who my friends ought to be? At the time, I felt he had no right to force me to submit to him, and I felt justified in disregarding his request that I abandon my new friend.

Dinner was cold and silent that night, not a word spoken between us, and bedtime even colder still. While we still slept in the same bed, William immediately turned away from me as soon as we climbed in for the night. Apparently, he didn't even want to look at me anymore. I felt alone and confused. I had expected that he would have understood my desire to help Vanessa once he heard her story, but he caught me off-guard by coming in with a biased view of the situation before he'd even heard what I had to say. No doubt Lady Catherine's gossip had poisoned his mind.

I hoped that come morning, William might see things differently. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. My husband was just as cold as the night before. He emerged from his dressing room ready to leave the house, a grim look on his face.

"Are you going to visit Lady Catherine?" I asked.

"No." He replied. "Thanks to you, I cannot even show my face there for the time being." He marched out of the room.

What did that mean? I wondered as I made my way to my parlour. From the window, I saw him set out in his gig, presumably to pay call to some parishioners.

The next day, determined to show that I would not back down, I went to town to seek Vanessa. I had given my word that I would not visit her at the tavern, but that didn't mean I was forbidden to run into her elsewhere. I went in to Thompson's Mercantile on the premise of shopping for some goods. As I browsed, I could see the owner's wife, Mrs. Thompson, sneering at me. Of course, I thought, I should have known Lady Catherine's spies would be everywhere. No matter, I would show her too that I could not be cowed into submission. I kept a watchful eye out the store window in case Vanessa should emerge across the street.

It wasn't long before Vanessa appeared. Leaving behind the one or two items I'd picked up off the shelves, I left the store to meet her. She seemed alarmed to see me.

"Mrs. Collins!" She looked right and left to see if anyone was watching us. "You should not be here."

"It's Charlotte, please," I reminded, "and is there somewhere we can go to talk?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm afraid you need to go. I can't see you anymore."

"Why on earth not?" I wanted to know.

"Your husband, he sent me a letter, asking me to please discontinue meeting you." Vanessa told me.

The nerve! He just couldn't leave well enough alone, could he?

"I don't want to cause any discord between you and the reverend." Vanessa added.

I put my hands on her shoulders. "Vanessa, what happens between me and the reverend is not your concern. He doesn't get to decide who I spend my time with. Now, why don't you come back with me to my home? We can have a nice visit together."

"Won't your husband be angry?" Vanessa worried.

"He is away for the afternoon visiting a sick man from our parish, and is not expected back 'til late." I told her. Although Vanessa still had reservations, she agreed to accompany me back to the parsonage.

After we enjoyed some tea, Vanessa had a question for me.

"Charlotte, why is it that you have such a strong desire to maintain a friendship with me, in spite of your husband's objections? Surely you can find better friends who are not so tainted, as I am."

Putting down my cup, I told her, "Vanessa, this may come as a surprise to you, but I care about you. I see the way our society has ostracized you and condemned you, and I don't think that is right. For whatever reason, I believe God allowed me to meet you, and led me to be the one to show you what a friend can be."

Vanessa's eyes started to water. "You have no idea what it means to me, to have someone to talk to who's not just another prostitute or a patron of the tavern. To have someone see me as a person, and not just an object or a piece of trash."

I leaned over on the settee and gave her a hug. "I told my husband that I would not visit you at the tavern anymore, but you should know that you are welcome to visit my home anytime."

Before she left, Vanessa told me something surprising. "I am curious to know more about this God of yours," she said. "Do you think you could teach me about him on a regular basis?" I was thrilled. "Yes! I would love to." I thought for a moment about our weekly schedules. I knew William had a regular engagement on Tuesdays to visit the orphanage in -, about ten miles away, to deliver clothing donations and a portion of the church tithes.

"Would you be able to come on Tuesday afternoons?" I asked.

Vanessa nodded. "I will be there around one o'clock." She said.

Vanessa surprised me yet again when she arrived for our Bible study, not alone, but accompanied by three other girls! "I hope it's alright," she said sheepishly, "but when I told my companions about you, they were all eager to meet you too."

"Of course, please, come in!" I invited.

Vanessa introduced me to the others, a couple of whom I recognized. "These are Lily," she gestured to the redhead I'd seen before, "Isabel," she pointed next to the beautiful brunette who had taken me to Vanessa's room the first time, "and Selina". The last girl was slim-figured and pale, her stark complexion contrasting her jet black hair.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I greeted.

The five of us squeezed in my small parlour, and Mrs. MacDougall brought us some tea and refreshments. I read to the women several passages of scripture that spoke of God's love and redemption. Lily, Selina, and Vanessa all had many questions for me, and seemed moved by the words I spoke. Only Isabel remained aloof. I did not push her to join in our discussion though, just allowed her to sit and soak everything in. When our meeting concluded, all of the women promised to return again the following week.

I was pleased with myself. I felt like now I really knew the purpose for which God had brought me to Kent- to minister to these lost women. I thought that the conflict over my helping them was limited to between my husband and myself. I was unprepared for the multiple ramifications that were to follow from my actions.

 **A/N: This week's post is a little bit short, but next week will be longer! As always, I welcome your reviews and critique, especially your thoughts on the new developments. I like getting private messages from my readers too! :-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here's your weekly dose of "The Parson's Wife"!**

Chapter 10

 _Charlotte_

A few weeks after our initial conflict, William and I were still not on good terms. He began speaking to me again, but only civilly. I knew my disrespectful behavior had offended him, but I was too proud to apologize for it. At the same time, my heart ached though, for the rift I had caused between us. I wished William could just see things my way and understand why I felt so compelled to help Vanessa and her friends.

Word had gotten around by now about my being seen with Vanessa and visiting the Drunken Skunk. Gossip travels quickly in a small town, especially with the likes of people such as Mrs. Spencer and Lady Catherine, and I suspected Mrs. Thompson as well.

First I noticed a drop in attendance in our parish. Several families who were normally always present suddenly started missing Sunday services. When I or my husband called on them to inquire, they skirted the issue. Then, people began openly avoiding us. I was walking down the lane one day, and saw little Robbie Barnes again with his mother.

"Robbie, how are you? I missed you in children's time the last few weeks."

"Mrs. Collins, I missed you too!" Robbie called to me.

His mother hurried him along. "Come, Robbie, we don't want to be late for our meeting." Mrs. Barnes didn't even look at me as she dragged him along the street.

Robbie wasn't the only one absent from children's time. Many of the other families with children felt that it was inappropriate for them to be taught by me, now that I had been seen associating with immoral people, so my group of students quickly dwindled down to just a few members.

William fretted constantly over the dropping numbers in our congregation, and even more over Lady Catherine. Her birthday party was coming up now, and I could see he was conflicted over whether or not to go.

"Lady Catherine's invitation was made months ago, and it's far too late for her to un-invite us," he told me, "but I wonder if she is hoping we will simply take the polite route and fail to appear."

"Would that not also appear rude to her, though?" I asked him. "If indeed you mean to decline, should you not at least notify her in advance?"

"But whatever shall I do with her birthday gift, if we do not go?" He fussed. A few days prior, a small crate had arrived. When I opened it, I discovered a hideous mantlepiece clock, made of blue and white ceramic, with figurines of a boy and girl attached. It looked ghastly, in my opinion, but apparently my husband had ordered it special from a clockmaker in London and had it shipped to us.

"You could always use it in your study," I suggested, thinking if we kept it, I would want it put somewhere where I wouldn't have to look at it too often. "Besides, Lady Catherine has so many fine things for her house already, she will probably just put it up on some mantle and forget about it."

William looked miffed that I would think so little of his gift, or of Lady Catherine's appreciation of it.

I continued. "At any rate, I think we ought to go. You should show your patroness that we are not afraid of any gossip, and that we will not be driven out of the community by it." Although I'm not sure he agreed with my reasons, he decided in the end that we would still attend the party.

 _William_

I never thought I would come to dread going to one of Lady Catherine's parties, but I was wrong. Lady Catherine still attended church weekly, so I knew she was fully aware of the community's response to Charlotte's actions. She did not speak to me when she saw me on Sundays though, nor did we call upon one another since that day when she revealed to me what my wife had been up to.

It was still unbeknownst to me that my wife was meeting with not one, but four prostitute women, in my own home no less. I did suspect that Charlotte and that woman, Vanessa, were still secretly meeting someplace, but I was glad at least that no further reports of Charlotte being at the tavern came to me, even when I called on the Thompson's and asked them directly about it.

Nevertheless, the effect on our position in society was profound. Besides Lady Catherine's disapprobation, I knew there were others of her status who looked down on my wife and I, because of her recent behavior, and that they would be at the birthday party.

I debated long over whether we should try to arrive to the party on time, or arrive late on purpose. If we arrived late on purpose, I hoped we could sneak in through the crowds unnoticed by too many people. There was, however, the chance that everyone would see us the moment we walked in. So in the end, I decided it was better to arrive on time, when there would be fewer guests, and we would have the advantage of situating ourselves so as to be seen as little as possible as more people filled in.

Thus, sharply at seven o'clock, we entered the grand foyer at Rosings. I hastily deposited the wrapped parcel bearing Lady Catherine's birthday gift onto the designated table and made my way along with Charlotte to where Lady Catherine was standing. I knew it would not do to delay our greeting my patroness on this occasion.

"Lady Catherine," I greeted, kissing her hand, "I wish you a very happy birthday, and hope we shall have many more splendid years to enjoy your radiance and benevolence!"

Charlotte curtsied beside me. "Happy birthday, your ladyship," she said simply.

"Thank you, Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins". The great lady nodded to each of us without even a smile. "I trust you shall enjoy your evening. I've hired a private bartender for the evening," she said, gesturing to the bar in the corner, "though the offerings may be a bit refined for your taste, Mrs. Collins. We have no ale or beer, as you might find in a _tavern._ " Lady Catherine sniffed. She turned back towards her other guests, effectively dismissing us. I looked to my wife. Charlotte's cheeks were flushed. Good, she ought to be a bit embarrassed, I thought.

Charlotte and I made our way to the bar to secure some drinks, after which my aim was to hide out in a corner and mingle as little as possible until we could safely leave without being rude. Charlotte made no objection to my plan. Plenty of the landed gentry were there that night, from all around the nearby counties, and even from London. Lady Catherine had many friends, all of whom were invited on such an auspicious occasion. In spite of my efforts to remain invisible, altogether too many people noticed our presence, and several of them glared at us and whispered to one another. I was sure they had heard about our recent situation, for I knew that her ladyship's tongue loved to wag whenever there was some juicy bit of news, good or bad. This was the first time that I knew of, however, in which my wife and I were the subject of their gossip, and it caused me to be greatly ashamed.

But I was about to discover that someone's approval of a situation could prove even more embarrassing than hushed whispers. Dinner was announced, and we were seated at the great table far down the line from Lady Catherine, next to Lord and Lady Greenbury. Lord Greenbury was a large, boisterous man. His wife was thin and gaunt and always looked a little sour.

"Mr. Collins, my good man! How've you been?" Lord Greenbury boomed. "I see you've brought the missus parson along. A pleasure to meet you, ma'am!"

Introductions were quickly made, then Lord Greenbury commented, "So, Mrs. Collins, I've heard you've become friends with sweet Vanessa over at the Drunken Skunk."

Charlotte was shocked. "Are you acquainted with her, your lordship?" She asked.

Lord Greenbury let out a hearty bellow. "Ho, ho, you could say that!" Beside him, Lady Greenbury frowned and stared intently at her soup. Her husband continued, "Vanessa and I know each other _very_ well. I'm just glad the little thing is finally getting some good society in knowing you. Lord knows she spends too much time upstairs in that bedroom of hers!" He winked as if to hint he contributed to that time.

I was too mortified to speak. Lord Greenbury wasn't exactly a quiet man, and the other guests were aghast that he had no shame in bragging about his exploits before all, including his wife. Worse still, he had revived my wife's recent scandal by including her in his discussion. Lady Catherine was the only one bold enough to speak though.

"Lord Greenbury," she began, "I believe there is no need to 'air one's dirty laundry', so to speak. We are all aware of your philandering ways, and your 'paper marriage'. We are also aware of Mrs. Collins' recent misstep. Thankfully, that debacle, I am told, has safely ended." Lady Catherine took a sip from her glass.

I quickly looked to Charlotte's face to see whether or not what Lady Catherine had said was true. Judging by her expression, I knew Charlotte was indeed still in contact with Vanessa.

I suffered through the rest of the dinner, being shunned by the rest of the guests, and having to bear Lord Greenbury's overwhelming joviality. When the party adjourned to the ballroom for dancing, Charlotte and I took the opportunity to escape.

"That was certainly the most embarrassing evening I have ever had to endure." I shook my head as we walked home."

"I'm sorry, dear," Charlotte apologized. "I never meant for things to turn out this way."

I turned to her. "When will you finally give up meeting with this friend of yours?"

"How did you know I still am?" Charlotte wondered in surprise.

"Others may not be able to recognize when you are thinking something contradictory to what they've just said, but I've seen that look on your face enough times by now to read it like a book." This wasn't entirely true; there were still plenty of times I had no idea what was going on inside her head. But I wanted to make her think she couldn't hide anything from me, so she might reveal to me the truth of what was going on.

Charlotte answered my question. "I simply must help Vanessa. I don't know how, but somehow, there must be a way to help her break free of this life she's fallen into."

I bit my lip and walked quietly a few paces.

Against my better judgment, I broke the silence by saying, "Help her, if you insist, but do it quickly, and discreetly. Then, I want you to sever all contact with her." A part of me loved my wife for wanting to do something about this woman's predicament. The other part was terrified of what might happen if she did. I prayed that this situation would soon end and everything would blow over.

 _Charlotte_

I felt guilty for withholding information from William. If he knew I was trying to help not only Vanessa but her friends as well, he would certainly be against me. His reputation and position were stake, and my continued association with these women put that in jeopardy, or at least so he believed. If anything, Lady Catherine's birthday party proved he was at least partially right, but I still felt that the need I was faced with outweighed the risk to our social status.

My efforts were soon rewarded. The next week at our Bible study meeting, Vanessa came full of excitement. "Girls, I have some news." She announced. "I'm going to quit working at the Drunken Skunk!"

The others and I were stunned. "What? How?" They asked.

"I'm not sure yet. But I do know this- I've given my life over to the Lord, and I'm not turning back. Somehow or another, I will find another job, and I will pay off my debts to Mr. Bartleby. I can't live as a harlot any longer." Vanessa resolved.

I was thrilled. "That's wonderful Vanessa! I'll help you in any way that I can."

Some of the others weren't so sure about this plan. "You'll never break free. Cassius Bartleby is not one to give up what's his so easily." Isabel shook her head with arms crossed.

"I don't belong to anyone, least of all Mr. Bartleby." Vanessa insisted.

Selina asked, "but who else will hire you?"

"Maybe someone will take her on as a maid," I commented. "Not everyone is so scrupulous about who they hire."

"If that were true, we'd all be out there working as maids." Lily sighed. "I know I tried many times to get hired, even lied about my previous work experience, but no one wanted to take me on without a reference."

"At least whoring pays decent." Isabel said, examining her fingernails as she spoke.

Vanessa shook her head. "Not enough to pay off my debts quick enough though. I need to find a better paying job doing something that I can at least feel proud about, instead of feeling dirty about myself every day."

I put my hand on Vanessa's back. "We'll figure this out together, don't worry." I reassured her.

We hadn't yet begun our Bible discussion for the day. I was about to begin the lesson when a carriage pulled up out front. I went to the window to see who it was. Miss deBourgh had come to pay us a call, as she did on rare occasion. I wasn't sure what she would think of my meeting with these women, or what she might say to her mother. Unfortunately, she had seen me through the window, so I could not ask the housekeeper to pretend I was out. I heard Mrs. Perry admit Miss deBourgh and inform her that I was entertaining guests in the parlour. Miss deBourgh replied that she only wanted to stop in and see how I was doing. Mrs. Perry opened the door to my parlour.

"Miss deBourgh, here to see you ma'am." She announced.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt your gathering," Miss deBourgh apologized. "I was on my way home from a shopping excursion and decided to drop by for a quick visit."

"It's quite alright," I excused, not wanting to offend her, "we are just having our weekly Bible study."

Miss deBourgh's eyes brightened. "A Bible study? Would it be alright if I joined you all?"

I glanced around the room at the other women with unease. Should I let Miss deBourgh into our meeting? I decided I should find a polite way to inform her who they were first.

"Miss deBourgh, I'd like to introduce you to my friends. These are Vanessa, Selina, Lily, and Isabel." I gestured to each one around the room. I wasn't sure what to say next without being rude.

Miss deBourgh was more keen than I knew though. "Please, call me Anne." She insisted. "Vanessa, yours is quite the infamous name around my mother's household these days." She said cheekily. "But don't worry, I'm not one to judge anybody. Regardless of our job or our station, we are all equals in the eyes of God, are we not?"

A true kindred spirit! I thought. I never ceased to be amazed at how different from her mother Miss deBourgh was, especially when she was away from Lady Catherine's influence and free to be herself.

Feeling that Anne knew what she was getting into, I proceeded to introduce that day's lesson.

Anne joined us again the next week, and the week after. She really took a shine to the women, and her additions to our discussions were lively and thought-provoking.

Meanwhile, Vanessa moved out from the Drunken Skunk. The draper offered her a place to stay, and a temporary job as his assistant. Mr. and Mrs. Emerson were not the judgmental sort, and they were more than happy to help a young lady like Vanessa to make a fresh start.

Vanessa's former employer was not too thrilled about the situation though. Mr. Bartleby immediately raised the interest rate on Vanessa's debt, charging more than twice what it once was. He justified the difference by saying that the extra income Vanessa had brought to the brothel covered part of the interest, so now that she was gone, he needed to charge her the full amount. If she ever chose to return, she could have her old job and her old room back, and her interest rates would return to what they were.

I sought to help Vanessa find a solution without yielding to Mr. Bartleby's coercion. I had an appointment for my dress fitting at Emerson's, and Vanessa was assisting. As she marked my hemline, I remarked on the details of the dress.

"My what beautiful lace trim this is, and what delicate embroidery along the neckline!"

"Thank you!" Vanessa replied.

I looked down at her. "Did you do this work?"

"Emerson has been so busy lately, he's tasked me with finishing some of the finer details of his garments. I've even been stitching some of the lower-cost orders together, and making up the sample gowns for the displays. I did that one over there." She pointed to a beautiful light-blue calico print with a satin spencer jacket on top.

"Vanessa, it's exquisite! If you can do work like that, you could open up your own shop, you know."

Vanessa shook her head. "Mr. Emerson still does all the designs. I just make up his creations."

"But you know how to design as well. Mr. Emerson told me a while back that you make most of your own clothes. Besides, Emerson's is the only draper's shop in town. There's room for another."

"Mr. Emerson said the same to me the other day. He said with the way our town is growing, there would soon easily be enough work to support two tailors." Vanessa said.

"See?" I patted her shoulder. "You could have your own shop, and pay Mr. Bartleby back much quicker."

"I haven't any money saved to open up a shop though." Vanessa complained.

Her problem was a real one. I sighed. Somehow, we would have to come up with a solution, and quick.

I didn't have much time to dwell on the topic though. When I arrived home, I groaned. Lady Catherine's barouche was parked out front. The great lady herself was waiting for me in the sitting room the moment I walked through the door.

"Good afternoon, Lady Catherine." I greeted, trying to be pleasant. "What brings you to condescend to visit my humble dwelling on this fine day?" I mimicked my husband's way of welcoming her.

Lady Catherine's face was stern though. "Mrs. Collins, I must say I am most displeased with you. Firstly, how could you turn this parsonage I have bestowed on you into a gathering place for sinners? Worse still, how could you allow _my daughter_ to become embroiled in your sordid gatherings, mingling her distinguished person with such lewd and disreputable women and tarnishing her reputation?" Lady Catherine's anger burned with every word she spoke in a way I had never witnessed before.

Just at that moment, my husband walked through the door, returning from a visit to someone or other in the parish.

"Why Lady Catherine, what an utmost pleasure it is to see you today!" He beamed.

"I wish I could say the same." She uttered. "Sit down, Mr. Collins, for what I have to say concerns you too." Lady Catherine commanded.

As William sank into the seat beside me, I braced myself. All hell was about to break loose, I knew.

 **A/N: Just for fun, I thought I'd share a link to a picture of Lady Catherine's birthday present. www dot venice clay artists dot com slash (type the first part in, then cut and paste the rest of the URL). I had a picture in my mind of what I thought the clock should look like, and upon searching, *gasp* lo and behold! It does exist!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here's Chapter 11, my longest chapter yet! This story should continue to get more and more exciting from here until the conclusion, so please enjoy!**

Chapter 11

 _William_

I was just returning from making my parish rounds when I saw Lady Catherine's barouche in the yard. Not wanting to waste a minute, I hurried to the door. I hoped her great condescension meant she was over the ordeal of Charlotte's scandal and ready to put the past behind us.

I greeted her as warmly as ever. "Why Lady Catherine, what an utmost pleasure it is to see you today!"

Lady Catherine coldly ordered me to sit down. As I obeyed, my body was a basket of nerves. Something must be horribly amiss. I dared hope it might at least be something unconnected to Charlotte's friend. I was wrong.

"Mr. Collins," Lady Catherine began. "I was under the impression this whole business between your wife and that harlot was over."

"Is it not?" I squeaked.

"Perhaps you are unaware then, I hope, that your wife continues to meet with not one, but _four women_ of this character, in your very house, no less." She said with a glare towards Charlotte.

I looked to my wife in shock. The truth was written for all to see. Charlotte, how could you not tell me? I thought. I could have put a stop to this before her ladyship found out.

I chose my words gingerly . "I assure you, your ladyship, I was unaware my home was being used in such a manner." I couldn't very well tell her that I knew my wife persisted in helping this Vanessa. But four prostitutes! How had that come about? I wondered.

"But that is not all your wife has done." Lady Catherine continued, "She chose to invite to her meetings none other than my daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh. That she should allow the heiress of Rosings to mingle with such riff raff is most despicable. Are Anne's chances in society to be ruined forever? It is unspeakable! She is a high-born lady, the granddaughter of an Earl!"

I could not believe my ears. "My lady, surely there must be some mistake-"

"Indeed, there is not!" Lady Catherine interrupted me. "For my daughter confided all to her companion Mrs. Jenkinson, who fortunately saw the danger and came to warn me before the public got wind of this."

Charlotte chose this moment to begin speaking. "Then there is no harm done, I should think."

"You are wrong, Mrs. Collins." The great lady shook her head. "I cannot believe you would allow Anne, not to mention yourself, to be polluted with these women's loose morals and ideals. How could you deceive her into thinking this was an acceptable sort of company to keep?"

Charlotte answered, "your ladyship, I did not deceive your daughter in any way. Miss de Bourgh knew full well what she was getting into when _she_ asked, not I, to be allowed to join our meetings. She is a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions, whether or not you are able to see it."

"Charlotte, please don't-" I begged. But Charlotte continued.

"Furthermore, I believe it is Miss de Bourgh and I who are doing the influencing. This is a Bible study, after all, and we have already seen one member come to faith since we began."

Lady Catherine's nostrils flared. "You think you can save these wretched souls? One Bible study does not erase a lifetime of depravity and sin."

"No, but the forgiveness of a loving God can, not to mention a little compassion from those who claim to be Christians!" Charlotte returned.

"How dare you preach to me!" Lady Catherine stormed. "Do you think you are better than me, up there on your high and mighty moral horse?"

The great lady began walking to the door. I immediately got up and followed her, and Charlotte not far behind, still in earshot.

"Your ladyship, my wife is not in her right mind! When I have made her come to her senses, I'm sure she will see-"

Once again I was interrupted. "I must remind you, Mr. Collins, you are already on very thin ice! I warned you to get a handle on your wife, and you did not. If this should continue, not only do I have the power to evict you from this parsonage, but I may write to the bishop about your continued service in the Church of England!" With that, she slammed the door in my face as she exited our house.

I did an about-face and turned on Charlotte. "Now you've done it!" I hissed. "I warned you to be discreet, and you go and involve Miss de Bourgh? Are you mad? You have broken the cardinal rule: to do something which might cause harm to Lady Catherine's daughter. Of all the offences you've committed up to this point, in her eyes, that is the very worst!"

Charlotte's eyes were watery, but she pursed her lips. "As I told her ladyship, Miss de Bourgh makes her own decisions about things. I have committed no sin where she is concerned."

"No sin? You should have refused to admit Miss de Bourgh to your meetings altogether. What's more, since when have you been meeting with four women? I had thought there was only one. Are they rabbits, to be multiplying like this?"

"Vanessa's friends saw the effect my friendship was having on her, and it made them also curious to know more about the Lord. I would have thought a minister like you should be thrilled by something like that!" Charlotte argued.

"Ordinarily, I would, but under the circumstances, it only increases my dismay!" I replied. I paced the floor, my hands supporting my forehead.

"Charlotte, do you not see the gravity of the situation now?" I asked. "We could lose this house. I could lose my job! We have already lost our standing in society. Are we to lose everything over this ideal of yours?"

"I really don't think it will come to all that. Lady Catherine could not be so cold hearted."

"Couldn't she? Perhaps not before you dragged Miss de Bourgh into all this! Now, who knows what she will do to exact her revenge on us?"

Charlotte stood firm. "Even if we did lose the house and your position, would it not be worth it if we could redeem the lives of these women?"

"And then how would we live?" I asked.

"The Lord would provide for us. If He cares for the lilies in the field and the sparrows in the sky, He will also care for us. That's what it says in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew." Charlotte touted.

"Madam, I wish you would stop acting as though you are the minister here! You do nothing but spout scripture and moralize. You brush off Lady Catherine's threats flippantly, as though we have nothing at all to fear. Do you not even care what happens to our family?"

"Of course, I care!" Charlotte insisted. "I love you. I would never wish anything bad to happen to us. I just wish you could trust God the way that I do."

"This isn't about how much I trust God. If you truly loved me, you wouldn't be putting me through all this right now. When will you give up your stubborn ways?"

I was sick of looking at Charlotte for the moment, so I turned and went out the side door to my garden. Charlotte did not follow me. I puttered around the flower beds a bit, but the angry thoughts rolling around in my head kept me from accomplishing any real work. Why couldn't Charlotte just give up this cause of hers? It's not as though she were indebted to those women anyways. How could she think so little of our home and livelihood, of my career and status? Did she think I somehow had an ace up my back pocket that I could play, in the event we were turned out in the streets? I had no other trade, no other skills, to find another profession! I had no parents or siblings with whom we could reside. Only a very old aunt, who was too poor to sustain us. Our only other option would be to bang on the door at Longbourn and hope that Mrs. Bennett would allow us to stay there prematurely until we could take full possession of the house. Not a fine prospect, in my estimation.

Although I still loved my wife very deeply, the lovely fluttery feelings which I had borne for her at the start of our relationship seemed to have vanished in a puff of smoke. I thought she was being incredibly stubborn and selfish. It hurt me that she would put the lives of these prostitutes ahead of our own happiness. Everything was going so smoothly, why did she have to mess that up? At that time, I was unwilling to forgive my wife for what she had done to us.

 _Charlotte_

I knew I had made a huge blunder in not coming clean to my husband about my secret Bible study meetings. I could have at least prepared him for the possibility that Lady Catherine might find out about it. William had every right to be angry with me, I realized, but it was too late now. I was too far into the situation to back out now, not when Vanessa was on the verge of starting her new life and the other girls surely not far behind. Surely Lady Catherine wouldn't throw us out on the street and destroy William's career. Would she? If only William was on my side, he could persuade her that my mission was a worthy cause. She was still a Christian woman, after all, and she had always doted on him, hadn't she?

I didn't know how I could persuade William now, though. Not after I had deceived him. I decided about the only thing I could do was pray. "Lord, I know I've made a mistake by not telling William the truth. Please help him to understand, I love these women, and I want to see them freed from the life of sin they are trapped in. Somehow, with Your guidance, I know there must be a way. Help him to let go of his fears and trust that You will provide for us. Help him to realize that Your work is more important than our social standing and others' opinions of us. Amen." I didn't know how the Lord might choose to answer my prayer, but I decided to put it in His hands.

I tried to apologize to William later that night. I went to his study and knocked. "May I come in?" I cracked the door to ask.

"Do what you like." William answered. "It's obvious you will do that anyways, regardless."

"About that," I began, shutting the door behind me. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Vanessa's friends, or about the Bible study meetings at our house."

"You knew I wouldn't approve, didn't you?" He asked.

I nodded. "I know it was wrong to keep our meetings a secret from you, but you did say I could help Vanessa."

"Against my better judgement, yes, and look where it has landed us!" William pointed out. "I should have held my ground that you dissolve all acquaintanceship. Had I known you would take things to such a degree, I'm certain I wouldn't have allowed it. Now, will you give up this ridiculous crusade of yours?"

I shook my head. "I've given Vanessa my word that I will help her. Now that she has become a believer in the Lord, she wants to start a business of her own as a seamstress. I am sure the other girls will follow her example if she succeeds."

William, took my hands in his and looked up into my eyes from his desk chair.

"Charlotte, in spite of what you might think, I do not wish to control or dominate you. I am, however, begging you to listen to me. In spite of the good news that your friend is now a Christian, you cannot expect that all of these prostitutes will simply abandon their way of life. Even if they wanted to rejoin society, what respectable person would hire them with their past record? You must quit this reform project of yours before things get even more out of hand. You do not understand the forces at work when you try to alter society in such a way." William warned me.

"I think you are more concerned with the way society sees you, especially your 'esteemed patroness'. If she were to approve the plan, I'm sure you would have no objection!" I argued.

"Lady Catherine is but one of the forces to be reckoned with. Have you considered how the community will react to this upset in the balance of things?"

"I'm sure, in time, they will come to welcome the women as I have." I replied.

"What about their patrons and employer? They might not take too kindly to the sudden loss of workers from the tavern."

"They'll just have to accept it. These girls are not their slaves, after all." I had done my best to convince William, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry, dear," he said, "I just cannot agree with what you are doing."

That was the end of that conversation. I didn't know it, but my husband was right about some things. I had set the wheels in motion on a chain of events which would soon spiral out of my control in ways I could not foresee.

I came to Vanessa at Emerson's the next day and told her briefly what had happened with Lady Catherine. I also let her know that, unfortunately, we would need to find a new meeting place for our Bible study. A solution was quick to present itself, however. Mrs. Emerson happened to be in the shop, and having overhead us, quickly offered her living room, since Vanessa was staying with them anyways. I thanked her profusely.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "It's not easy, doing what you are doing, and I admire you for it. Mr. Emerson and I wish to do all we can to help you and the girls.". Then she went on to the back room to deliver Mr. Emerson his lunch.

At the end of my visit with Vanessa, she was walking me towards the door when who should enter but none other than Mr. Bartleby, the tavern owner. Although I hadn't personally met him before, I recognized him instantly from the times I'd seen him around the tavern. Cassius Bartleby was a slick man, undeserving of the gentleman's attire he wore. He kept his greasy black hair combed back and he bore a mustache.

"Good afternoon, Miss Vanessa, 'Missus Parson'." He greeted coolly, nodding to each of us in turn. Apparently he knew who I was already too.

"What are you doing here?" Vanessa demanded.

"I'm just here to collect my loan payment for this month, seeing as it's already two days' late."

"I'm sorry," Vanessa apologized. "I haven't gotten paid yet this week, but I can guarantee you'll have your money by week's end."

"Not to worry, I'll just tack on the late fee to what you owe." He grinned. "You know, 'Ness, some of your regulars are beginning to complain that you aren't there. They don't like having their needs met by one of the others."

"Then maybe they should just stop coming altogether."

"Now you know you don't wish for that, otherwise I might have to raise your interest again to compensate." Bartleby suggested slyly.

I moved to intervene. "Please stop harassing and threatening my friend. She is doing her best to pay you back, as she promised."

"Now, now, Missus Parson, it won't do to get riled up. I was merely suggesting that Miss Vanessa's presence is sorely missed at the Drunken Skunk."

"She won't be coming back." I told him firmly.

"We'll see about that." Mr. Bartleby twisted the end of his mustache. "And I do hope you don't get any ideas about stealing away any of my other girls." He warned.

"Your payment will be at the tavern by Friday." Vanessa repeated. "Good day, Mr. Bartleby." With that, she practically shoved him out the door. I hoped that would be the last time I would have to encounter Cassius Bartleby, but I feared it would not.

 _William_

Once again, Lady Catherine had stopped inviting us to Rosings. Additionally, she was also now absent from church. Plenty of stories now circulated the town about Charlotte's little meetings, all with no mention of Miss de Bourgh's attendance, of course. It was my estimation that Lady Catherine hoped to shame me into forcing my wife to quit her mission by completing the ruin of our standing in society. We all knew, with one word, she could turn things back around again for us if she wished.

Charlotte moved her meetings to the draper's home, and assured me in a sad voice that Miss de Bourgh no longer attended. I presumed Lady Catherine would have put her daughter under lock and key to prevent that happening anyhow.

Meanwhile, church attendance had plummeted to an all-time low. The previous Sunday, only five families were in attendance, including the draper's family, the custodian and his wife, and three other families. Most of the congregation followed Lady Catherine's example to stay away from "Reverend Collins' wayward wife". Another portion were men like Lord Greenbury who frequented the Drunken Skunk and had been warned by its proprietor that their favorite companions were being drawn away by the minister's wife. They disliked the threat to the order of society and its vices. Most of these men's wives knew about their exploits and tolerated them, and few dared attend church without their husband's approval.

I knew not what to do to fix the situation. I had plenty of spare time on my hands, for only a few families allowed or requested that I call upon them during the week. Charlotte was seldom at home, spending most of her days at the draper's shop and residence. I finished all my sermons in record time each week, and found myself rereading books for the sake of something to do. Even my garden was so well-tended there was little for me to do in it each day except pull a few weeds and water the plants. For the first time in a while, I truly felt quite idle.

Desperate to relieve my boredom, I decided to take a walk by the pond. As I strolled along the banks, I came upon Miss de Bourgh and her companion, Mrs. Jenkinson, coming down the path from Rosings.

"Good day to you, Miss de Bourgh, Mrs. Jenkinson." I greeted.

Miss de Bourgh smiled. "Good day, Mr. Collins." She returned. Mrs. Jenkinson bobbed a curtsy beside her.

"Miss de Bourgh, I'm pleased to see you out and about. Is your mother aware of your whereabouts?" I asked.

"She has allowed that I am to take a walk daily, for my health, provided Mrs. Jenkinson always accompanies me." She rolled her eyes on that account. I already knew Miss de Bourgh resented having the equivalent of an adult nursemaid looking after her constantly.

Turning to her companion, she said, "Mrs. Jenkinson, would you mind walking a few paces behind us? I wish to speak with Mr. Collins while we walk."

Mrs. Jenkinson frowned, but acquiesced. "As you wish, miss.

I began walking in the same direction around the pond as Miss de Bourgh. Mrs. Jenkinson made sure not to fall too far behind me and her charge.

Miss de Bourgh whispered, "Don't say anything in the presence of Mrs. Jenkinson that you should not wish to be repeated to my mother." I nodded that I understood. I certainly could not afford to further alienate Lady Catherine in my current predicament.

"What is it you wished to speak to me about?" I inquired.

"How is Charlotte doing? I have not been permitted to speak to her or visit her as of late."

"Charlotte is...doing well." I answered hesitantly. "Though her persistence in her meetings is causing me a great deal of grief, as I'm sure you know."

"Yes, well, my mother can be a bit difficult when one does not comply with her wishes." Miss de Bourgh said wryly.

"I am sorry my wife involved you in this whole affair."

Miss de Bourgh shook her head. "Don't be. I made the choice to become involved, and I don't regret it. Mr. Collins, you may not realize it, but your wife is doing a great deal of good. The women really respond to her and are growing in their understanding of the Lord. Regardless of the social pressures around them, their lives are going to be forever changed for having known Charlotte. I wish you would not try to stop her from seeing her work through to completion." She finished.

I sighed. "If only it were that simple. If it were merely my own reservations, I should concede, but the pressure Lady Catherine and the community have put on me make it nearly impossible that she should continue without it spelling disaster for our continued life as it were. Your mother ought to know I am doing everything in my power to adhere to her demands, and I pray she shall be merciful and patient towards us in respect to the living she has bestowed on us." The last sentence was meant mainly for Mrs. Jenkinson's ears, knowing she would likely repeat all she heard to her mistress.

Miss de Bourgh looked sad. "I'm sorry to hear you care more about the comfort of your life than the lives of the women your wife ministers to. I wish I were able to continue assisting her, but that too has been made impossible."

We were now at the fork where the path to the parsonage began. "Good day, Mr. Collins." Miss de Bourgh bade as she hurried along ahead of me on the path encircling the pond and back to Rosings. Mrs. Jenkinson picked up her pace to rejoin her charge, nodding sternly at me as she passed by. I remained on the fork to the parsonage, wishing once again that things were all back to normal.

 _Charlotte_

Pressing on in spite of the manifold objections, I made it my main object, aside from our weekly meetings, to secure Vanessa's establishment as a seamstress. Emerson's had grown so busy with customers seeking to order their new wardrobes before autumn, that Mr. Emerson allowed Vanessa to take on some of the orders that he was too busy to fill himself. This enabled Vanessa to collect just a small amount of cash on top of her weekly salary. We hoped it would be enough for the first month's rent for a shop of her own. After much searching, we located a tiny storefront, rather shabby, attached to the barber shop. The barber hadn't much use for it, but he was reluctant to rent it to Vanessa or to lower his price on it. Finally, he was persuaded, deciding he would prefer to collect a small sum on it than keep it vacant and derelict. Part of his terms were that Vanessa must refurbish it. Selina, Lily and I pooled our savings to buy some supplies, and helped Vanessa with the cleaning, sanding, and painting; Isabel declined to help, claiming she had no funds or time to spare. I still wasn't sure what kept her detached from our friendship. At least she still came to all our meetings, if only for the free tea and company.

The women and I soon discovered what hard work it was to repair the storefront! Our arms and backs ached from hours of scraping and painting. The reward was worth it when we finished though. The store looked brand-spanking new, with a polished sign out front reading, "Vanessa's Custom Creations".

Business was tough starting out, but Mr. Emerson's referrals greatly helped. Without the runoff from his store, I wasn't sure Vanessa could have made a go of things. A significant portion of the town was still highly against her. She even had some problems with vandals egging her windows and writing on the doorstep. In spite of it all, Vanessa remained steadfast, and I applauded her for it.

My hopes that Vanessa's example would lead the way for the other girls proved right. Shortly after Vanessa's store opened, both Lily and Selena came to Bible study with resolutions of their own.

"We've been talking, and we've decided, we are also leaving the Drunken Skunk." Lily announced.

"Yes," chimed in Selina, "I don't want to work for Mr. Bartleby any more."

"Me neither." Lily said.

"Wonderful!" I exclaimed.

"That's perfect!" Vanessa jumped up and hugged them both.

Selina sighed. "Unfortunately, we don't have a clue as to what we're going to do to support ourselves."

Lily nodded glumly. "My last job before the Skunk was a barmaid in another town. Sadly, this town only has one tavern, and folks at the inn have already said I'm not respectable enough to work there."

"I don't have any useful skills." Selina said, "at least, none that will get me hired anyplace decent."

Vanessa gave a wry smile. "I wish I could afford to hire you as my assistants, but I'm scraping by as it is, and I still have to pay back Mr. Bartleby on top of affording my food and the shop's overhead."

"We don't expect you to hire us." Selina shook her head.

Isabel, who had been quiet through all of this, suddenly spoke up.

"If you have no plans for how you will make a living, then what makes you think you can just up and quit on Mr. Bartleby? Where will you live? How will you survive? Or do you think your fortunes will be as good as 'Ness here, who at least knows how to sew a damn dress?" She scoffed.

"There's no need for such language, Isabel." I chided. "I am pleased that Lily and Selina have decided to abandon prostitution in favor of a new profession. I am sure situations can be found for both of them, with a little time and thought put in."

Lily asked, "what about you, Isabel? Will you leave the tavern as well?"

"Me? Ha, as if!" Isabel laughed. "With you three all gone, I'll have the run of the upstairs. All the men will come flocking to me, and Mr. Bartleby will reward me with the extra commissions. Why, I'll be working so hard, I bet I won't even sleep!" She bragged.

I merely shook my head. "The life of a lady of pleasure can't be as glamorous for you as you make it out to be. Someday you may regret your choice. You ought to try to get out now, while you can." I suggested.

Isabel huffed and snickered. "You all think you can get out, but you'll see. Mr. Bartleby will let you play your game for a while, but then he'll have you back upstairs at the Skunk before you know it." Turning to me, she said, "Charlotte, you ought to stop filling these girls' heads with dreams. We're all soiled women. There is no other life for us but this. If you ask me, we might as well enjoy it to the full and make our fortunes while we're still young and beautiful."

My heart cried inside. What had caused Isabel to become so jaded? Could she really see no other option for any of them but to remain embroiled in the life of a whore?

Isabel left our meeting, saying she needed to get back to work.

Vanessa put her hand upon my shoulder. "Don't listen to her, Charlotte. You're doing the right thing by helping us. We are all grateful for your efforts to put us back on the straight and narrow. I know I would never have had the courage to leave and open up my shop if it wasn't for you."

"Yes, that's right." Selina agreed. "Lily and I wouldn't be bold enough to leave either, if you hadn't encouraged us and shown us it was possible."

"Thank you, girls." I smiled. We all agreed to stop dwelling on the negative and get on with our Bible study for the day.

Isabel stopped coming to our meetings after that. I was sad, but I didn't know what to do to convince her to return. Selina and Lily both seemed happier to be out of the Drunken Skunk. In spite of their uncertain future, their attitude was lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. I was pleased for them, and Vanessa also, whose business was starting to gain more traction as people liked her work and began telling others about it.

But there was still somebody who was more displeased than any other about the absence of the three former workers from the tavern: Cassius Bartleby. I was coming home from Vanessa's shop one afternoon, and I took a shortcut through an alley. Mr. Bartleby had been following me. He accosted me, cornering me in the alley.

"What do you want, Mr. Bartleby?" I demanded.

"Nothing much, missus parson, only that you stop stealing my employees away." He replied. His foul breath reeked of liquor and garlic as he leaned his arm against the wall to keep me trapped.

"Vanessa, Lily, and Selina all left you of their own accord. I had nothing to do with their decisions." I insisted.

Bartleby twirled his mustache. "See, that's where you're wrong. I'm fairly certain they wouldn't have gotten such an idea if it weren't for your proselytizing and evangelizing."

I growled. "If they left, it's because they hate working for a bully like you! They finally had enough of you!"

"Dogs will always return to their master. They'll be back sooner or later. But in the meantime, my business is hurting. Poor Isabel's got more customers than she can service, and I hate to see a poor fellow's needs go unmet for lack of a bedfellow."

"Why don't you try servicing them yourself?" I said cheekily.

"Ooh, you've got spunk, that's for sure!" Bartleby chuckled. "But I think _you'd_ be better at helping me recoup my losses than I would." He leered.

"How dare you! I am a married woman!" I glared back.

Bartleby just shrugged. "So are most of my customers. Marital status doesn't mean squat to them. Why don't I just see how well you perform right now?" My eyes widened, but before I could stop him, Mr. Bartleby had forced his lips onto mine. I tried to free myself, but his tight grip on my shoulders kept my back pinned to the wall. As I struggled, I felt his tongue invade my mouth. His teeth bit my lip, drawing blood. Grabbing my wits, I kneed him in the groin, hard.

"Ow!" Bartleby gasped, loosening his hold on me. I felt the sleeve of my dress rip as I wrested myself free. I slapped him forcibly across the cheek, then took off running as fast as I could.

Mr. Bartleby called after me. "You tell those girls to 'come home to papa' or there'll be hell to pay!" When I had gotten far enough away, I stole a glance behind as I ran. Mr. Bartleby was just leaning against the wall, legs crossed casually, lighting his pipe and snickering.

 _William_

I was at home having some tea in the sitting room by myself when Charlotte returned. She didn't look at me as she made for the stairs, as if she were trying to avoid me. I stopped her.

"Charlotte, what are you doing?" She paused and looked at me. I immediately saw blood running from her lip and was alarmed. "What's happened? You're hurt!"

"It's nothing…" she tried to excuse.

I went to her. "Did you stumble and burst your lip open by falling?" Then I saw her sleeve dangling from her dress. My eyes narrowed. "Who did this to you?" I demanded.

Charlotte was trembling. "Cassius Bartleby…. attacked me in an alley." She finally answered.

My insides dropped. "The tavern owner?" Charlotte began to cry. Instinctively, I pulled her into my arms. "Did he...he didn't…" I couldn't finish my sentence for fear of what the answer might be.

"No, he didn't succeed in what you're thinking. But he tried. He forced me to kiss him." Charlotte made a face. "It was so vile."

My blood began to boil. I pulled away from Charlotte, fumes pouring from my ears. "How dare he touch you like that!"

"He threatened me on account of the girls' leaving the brothel." Charlotte said. "He told me 'there'll be hell to pay' if I don't convince them to go back to him."

"Now will you finally give up this ridiculous cause of yours? This man is dangerous!" I turned back to Charlotte and clutched her again. "I don't know what I would do if something worse had happened to you." I kissed her forehead and cheeks again and again, then pressed my forehead to hers.

"Please promise me you'll stop meeting with those prostitutes. Just let them go back as they were before. I don't want you crossing swords with that Bartleby character. He's already hurt you once. I can't let that happen again."

Charlotte shook her head. "I'm alright, William. Just rattled. We can't let this evil man get to us. He needs to be stopped. The girls shouldn't have their lives run by a man like him."

My anger was still burning inside me. " You're right. I can't let him get away with what he's done to you. I'm going to put a stop to this man right now." I let go of Charlotte once again and headed for the door.

Charlotte tried to stop me. "No, William, you can't do this, you'll just make things worse!" She grabbed for my arm, but I brushed her aside. Charlotte followed me to the stables as I fetched my horse. "Please, you're going to get hurt!" She begged.

"Better me than you!" I shouted as I mounted my steed and took off.

 _Charlotte_

I was so worried about William. It was getting late, and he still had not returned from the village. I could not even eat my supper, my insides were so torn up. All I could do was pray he would be alright.

Finally, there was a knock at the door. It was the constable's son, the acting deputy.

"Good evening, madam. I'm afraid I must inform you, your husband has been arrested for assault and disrupting the peace."

I was too stunned to respond.

"We've determined he attacked under provocation and is not an immediate threat to society. The magistrate has seen him and issued a fine to be paid to the victim. If you'll bring the money for the fine and come to collect him, he can be released tonight. I nodded numbly before following the deputy to his carriage.

 **A/N: Goodness, William's landed himself in jail! How on earth did that come about? Find out next week!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I apologize that this week's post is later than usual. Three in our household were sick, including myself, which made it difficult to get my writing in. On top of that, I have been working on some big developments to the plot, and wanted to iron out a few details. I hope that this week's chapter proves worth the wait though!**

Chapter 12

 _William_

I drove my horse as fast as he could run until we reached the Drunken Skunk. Hitching him to a post, I left the horse and went inside. Bartleby was sitting at a table, drinking and playing cards with some of the guests. I stormed towards him. "How dare you threaten and violate my wife!" I roared. As I approached the table, I grabbed him by the edges of his jacket. "You won't get away with this, you fiend!"

Mr. Bartleby merely began chuckling, and the rest of the patrons around him too. He stood up from the table, and I was suddenly reminded about the discrepancy between our heights.

"You think a little twat like you can do anything to me?" Bartleby mocked. "I'm not sure how a pretty lady like Mrs. Collins ended up with a puny wimp like you, but Reverend, I think it'd be best for you to go home and be thankful all I did was kiss your wife."

That was the the final straw. I took a big swing at the proprietor, but he dodged me and I fell against the table behind him. The crowds laughed. I turned and lunged for him. The difference in our weight made it impossible for me to do more than budge him. Using his strength, he heaved and knocked me to the floor. Before I could get up, he stamped his foot upon my wrist. I screamed in pain.

"Tell your wife to drop her little crusade and send my girls back home where they belong." Bartleby sneered. He raised his foot to smash my face next, but I rolled away and scrambled to my feet. Bartleby moved to tackle me again, but I kicked him right in the groin. He shrieked and doubled over, giving me a clear shot at his nose. With a swift punch, I drew blood.

"Why you little-" Bartleby grasped me by the hair and prepared to punch.

"That's enough, break it up, boys!" A voice interrupted him. It was the village constable. He stood at the door with his firearm in hand.

"Sir, this man came into my tavern and assaulted me. I have all these people as witnesses to back me up." Mr. Bartleby told the constable.

"Reverend, I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me." The constable told me. Bartleby released his grip and I fell to the floor. Meekly, I followed the constable out of the Drunken Skunk.

I had reached an all-time low. I had never been prone to violence before. It was like some demon had gotten inside of me and drove me crazy, for me to go off like that. I was ashamed of what Charlotte would think of me when she heard what happened, of what the whole town would think. This was surely the end of my career now, I thought.

The constable brought me to the jail for questioning. He inquired after the whole story of what had happened from my side. Then he put me in holding in his son the deputy's care while he went back to the tavern to question Bartleby and the witnesses.

Left alone in the cell, I had plenty of time to reflect on all that had occurred and why I had ended up there. I realized that it wasn't just my foolish rage and desire to defend my wife's honor that had caused me to lash out at Bartleby. It was anger and disappointment with myself. I hadn't been there to protect Charlotte. In fact, I hadn't been there at all for her when she needed me. She had pleaded with me to help her in her cause, to support her and defend her. But I had thought only of my own pride and standing in other's eyes, had feared only for the security of my job and the comfortable life I had come to enjoy. I had left her to fight alone against the forces of evil. For Mr. Bartleby was evil, and I saw now that he would use whatever means necessary to threaten and oppress others. Charlotte was right when she said we must stand against him, against society even, to free others from this wicked oppression.

I found myself wanting to pray.

"Lord, I've been a stubborn fool. I have been selfish and proud, placing other people's opinion of me ahead of what You might have me do to better the lives of those around me. My wife begged me to help her free her friends from the snare of wickedness, but I denied her, for fear of what others might think, for fear of what Lady Catherine might do to me. I'm sorry I wasn't united with Charlotte in the calling You have given her." I was beginning to get choked up. "Please, forgive me, Lord, for leaving her to the wolves instead of standing by her side to support her and protect her. This precious woman you have given me-her heart is so tender towards anyone who is suffering and oppressed, and her integrity is so much greater than mine." I wiped the tears that were rolling down my face now. "Lord God, help me to right the wrongs I have made. I want to take a stand on matters of right and wrong, not according to what the world says, but according to Your word. I pray that it is not too late for You to use me mightily in this parish You have placed me in. Amen."

I opened my eyes. My heart felt lighter again, and my spirit felt much closer to the Lord than I had in a long time. What would happen next still remained to be seen, but I trusted that God would carry out His plans in due course. I felt at peace, now that I was working with Him and not against Him.

The constable returned, along with the county magistrate. "Well, you're in luck, Mr. Collins. It seems most of the witnesses believed you were provoked and are not a danger to society."

The magistrate addressed me also. "You're still being sued for assault by Mr. Bartleby. Do you plead the 'benefit of the clergy'?"

"I do, your honor." I prepared to give my vow. "I, William Collins, do solemnly swear that I am devoted to God Most High, and promise to uphold the laws of moral conduct given in the Holy Scriptures, which I have broken. May God judge me if I do not uphold my vow." I concluded.

"Excellent." The magistrate said. "By your vow, your sentence shall be reduced. In lieu of a prison sentence, I am ordering a fine of _ shillings to be paid to Mr. Bartleby for compensation."

"Yes, your honor." I agreed.

The constable spoke again. "I'm sending my deputy to fetch your wife. Once she arrives, you can be released tonight to go home with her."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you, sir."

 _Charlotte_

As we rode to the jail, the deputy gave me a colorful description of what had happened.

"Mr. Collins came into the tavern and picked a fight with the tavern owner. Apparently, your husband took a pretty good shot at his face. Near broke his nose!"

If it hadn't been so serious, I would have laughed.

"It wasn't looking so good for him at first though. Bartleby may not be burly, but he has the advantage of height over your husband. Poor Mr. Collins was taking quite a beating until he managed to turn it around."

"Oh dear, is he alright?" I asked, worried.

"A couple bruises maybe, but he could've fared worse."

We arrived at the jail. I didn't wait for the deputy's assistance, just leapt from the carriage and hurried ahead of him inside. The constable opened the cell.

"William!" I cried as my husband ran to my arms.

"Charlotte, I'm sorry I was such a fool!"

"Hush! I'm just glad you're alright."

"It's not just about tonight, I haven't supported you when you needed me through everything that's been going on. But I'm here for you now. Whatever you need to do to get those women free of Mr. Bartleby's clutches and back in respectable society, I'm willing to help you do it."

"William, do you mean it?" I asked.

"I do." He said. Then he kissed me.

The constable cleared his throat. "I don't mean to be interrupting, Mr. and Mrs. Collins, but perhaps you'd like to pick back up where you left off when you get back home." He politely said. I blushed.

"Yes, constable. Good evening." I bade. Then I took my husband home to do just what he suggested.

 _William_

If church attendance had been sparse as of late, it was anything but that now! By Sunday, the whole town knew about my misadventure with Bartleby. Curiosity brought out even some of those that had never darkened our doors before. Even the choir loft was opened for seating, and still it was standing room only. Lady Catherine, of course, did not deign to attend, but my spirits were momentarily lifted by the sudden burst of visitors.

I hadn't had time to write a new sermon since my arrest, so I planned to just deliver the one I'd already written. The topic was fairly straightforward- the dangers of gluttony, but I found I could not get my heart into it.

"When it comes to comestibles, beware the peril of indulging oneself in a manner unbefitting to a believer of the Lord. One must not consume in great excess those foods which are not nutritious to the body and which can only lead to a multitude of impediments to one's health. Also, do not develop a propensity for overeating, which is altogether another form of gluttony. For we learn in First Corinthians, 'For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body'. And also we are given this commandment, 'Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God'." I paused for breath. The congregation around me seemed bored again. Mechanically, I attempted to continue.

"Therefore, I implore you, whenever you are dining, be on guard, then, that you do not eat greedily, nor ask for more helpings when your belly is already satisfied, nor overindulge in those delicacies which may, upon first glance, appear innocent and harmless, but which can render your heart guilty of the very same iniquity which caused so many others before you to fall of."

Looking around at the many faces in my congregation, I found that this just wasn't the subject I wanted to talk to them about, nor was it what any of them came to hear. What was on my heart, what they were all dying to hear about and needed to hear, was the topic of my recent encounter with Bartleby and my new perspective on the women he was subjugating.

Stepping down from the pulpit, I walked out onto the steps of the altar to be closer to my audience. Members of the congregation took notice and sat up, or woke up a fellow near them who had been nodding off.

"Friends," I began, "I know you all did not come to hear me talk about gluttony and its many perils. Well, perhaps Mr. Pickett here did." The audience laughed as I gestured to a heavy-set gentleman near the front who had no shame in noshing on some chicken legs in the middle of my service. Mr. Pickett grinned, taking it all in stride as he raised one chicken leg in the air and said "hear, hear!" before continuing his snack. I smiled. It was the first time I had used humor in my address, and it felt good.

Continuing on, I said, "Most of you came today because you heard about my recent visit to the parish jail, and how I came to be there. You wondered whether I would have anything to say on the subject of violence, or if I would try to justify my actions." I had the attention of everyone in the room now.

"Well, I'll begin by saying, violence is not the answer. I was wrong to attack Mr. Bartleby, no matter how much he may have deserved it. 'Vengeance is mine', saith the Lord. That said, we also know that we ought to take a stand against the evil in this world. We are to put on the full armour of God, in order that we might stand against the Devil's schemes. I stand before you today to tell you that he has a scheme in place to ruin lives- the lives of young women, desperate to make ends meet. Cassius Bartleby is his pawn, a man so corrupt that he would coerce these women into working for him, and use threats and extortion to keep them on his leash. These prostitutes did not choose a life of sin for themselves, but their situations left them with no other option, and now they are trapped."

My audience hung on my every word. Continuing on, I said, "'How can we help these women?' we ask ourselves. The answer is this: we must clothe ourselves with compassion, and do everything we can to help them break free from their wicked master. We must welcome them- not by condoning their sin, but by encouraging them to repent of it and leave behind their old life, providing for them a way to do so. As for Bartleby, we must put a stop to his tyranny, shut down his house of sin altogether, so he is cut off from his lifeblood."

Some of the congregation began shaking their heads. I knew my message would be hard for some to accept. They enjoyed the many pleasures the tavern had to offer, including for some, regular visits to the brothel portion. They did not want to see these changes happen. Others feared going up against Bartleby. He was a powerful man with many friends in the area, including the mayor and the county magistrate, and he could make things miserable for them if they began threatening his business. About a third of the church got up and left the building, one after the other.

To the rest, I said, "Please, if you can find it in your heart to overlook these harlots' colored pasts, help us to free them from the clutches of this evil man and start anew. Thank you." I concluded. Confident that I had conveyed all I wished, I stepped down from the altar.

 _Charlotte_

I could not have been more proud of my husband. Whatever had occurred the other night, it was apparent he was a changed man. The Lord had answered my prayer and spoken to William to soften his heart. I knew that with him by my side, along with many others now, we had a much greater chance of succeeding in our cause where my friends were concerned.

Families immediately came forward following the service, asking how they could help. I told them that Lily and Selina still needed a better living situation. They were currently sleeping on cots in the backroom of Vanessa's shop, since the Emerson's had no more room. Two families offered temporary housing, until the girls could find work and get back on their own two feet.

Vanessa's business boomed. People began flocking to her shop, suddenly eager to support her, until she had so many new orders she was having to turn customers away, funneling them back to Emerson's.

Meanwhile, I heard rumors that customer influx at the tavern had taken a dive. Many people were not so willing to patronize the establishment, now that they knew what kind of man the owner was, and how he was operating his side-business upstairs. I felt that things were looking up for my cause. If only I could locate jobs for Lily and Selina, I would feel I had accomplished what I originally set out to do.

Then came a sad and shocking event- early one morning, Vanessa went to her store, only to discover it had been broken into and robbed! Whoever they were, the rascals made off with all of her raw materials, her sewing supplies, her floor samples, even her unfinished orders! Who would want to do such a thing? I wondered. I could think of one person: Bartleby. But when we questioned the nearby shop owners, no one had seen someone matching his description anywhere near the store the previous night. The only person they described was a blonde woman, of similar height and build as Vanessa, who wore clothes such as she wore, and who they assumed to be her, entering the shop around nine o'clock p.m. Furthermore, the shop showed no signs of a break-in, no broken windows or evidence of a forced entry. Yet Vanessa insisted that she had not been there since five o'clock the previous day until that morning around eight a.m. It was a mystery.

At any rate, without any supplies, Vanessa could not even complete the orders that she had already taken, let alone take on any more work. She was dead in the water, for she hadn't enough funds to replenish her stock. My heart ached for her.

William noticed my glum mood one morning as we sat down to breakfast.

"What's wrong, dearest?" He asked me.

"I'm just sad for Vanessa. After all we've done to try to help her get her business off the ground, just when it was really picking up speed, she's lost everything. It's not fair." I pouted.

William sipped his coffee. "I agree. The robbery is a huge blow." Putting down his cup, he said to me, "I've been thinking though, I may have an idea how we can help."

I perked up. "Really? How?"

"Well, as you know, my income may not be lavish, but we are well-off, thanks in-part to Lady Catherine's benefice."

I nodded reluctantly. "Do go on." I encouraged.

"It occurred to me that we might use some of our savings to generate a small loan, which might enable Vanessa to replenish her supplies and tide over her expenses." William suggested.

My face brightened. "Would you do that, dear? Oh, that would be wonderful!" I exclaimed. It pleased me to no end that my husband was so willing to help out of our personal funds. Such a thing would never have occurred prior to his change of heart. Then my face fell again. "But, that would put us at risk, wouldn't it, if what you fear Lady Catherine might do should actually come to pass?"

William shifted in his chair. I saw the inward struggle he must be feeling written across his face. Sighing, he said, "Well, that's a risk we are going to have to take, I think. As you've said, I need to be more trusting that the Lord will provide for us no matter what, so long as we are doing the right thing."

I put my hand atop his. "Thank you, dear. I know Vanessa will be so grateful."

William leaned across the table to plant a kiss on my cheek. "Just find out from her what the sum she requires is, and I shall endeavor to meet the need."

 _William_

The amount of Vanessa's need was considerable, but fortunately not beyond what I could afford. The majority of my funds were safeguarded at the local bank. Not wanting to trust anyone but myself, not even Charlotte, to carry around that much gold, I went to the bank personally to make the withdrawal.

As I emerged from the bank, who should I run into but none other than Mr. Bartleby. We frowned at one another.

"Mr. Bartleby." I grunted.

"Mr. Collins." He hissed back. Glancing down at the large valise I carried, he commented, "I see you have withdrawn a considerable sum."

I merely raised one eyebrow. "You know not what the contents nor quantity of my bag may be."

Bartleby chuckled. "Well, given that this is a bank, my educated guess would be that you are carrying money, and judging by the way your shoulder is sagging, there must be enough of it to prove quite heavy. What on earth could you be doing with all that gold? Not helping certain ladies avoid returning to their employer, I hope!"

"My business is none of your concern. You've already been compensated for my actions towards you, so we can have no further business." I scowled.

Bartleby shook his head, with a "Tsk, tsk, that fee was merely a slap on the wrist. The magistrate clearly could have fined you more for my troubles."

"Nevertheless, I have paid what was demanded. Now step aside, Bartleby." I pushed my way past him and continued down the street towards Vanessa's Custom Creations. Bartleby called after me. "If you're planning on using that money to help 'Ness, you'll find it's all a waste. You're just throwing it away! No good will come of it!"

I chose to ignore him and press on.

"You'll be sorry!" Bartleby threatened as I left him in my dust.

Vanessa was at her worktable in the back when I entered the store. Hearing the bell announcing my arrival, she emerged from the back room. In spite of three months having passed since my wife met her, this was actually the first time I had personally met Vanessa. I had seen her around town though, of course, and knew who she was.

Vanessa gave a friendly smile. "How can I help you, sir?"

"Miss, allow me to introduce myself. I am Mr. Collins, Charlotte Collins' husband."

Vanessa seemed a little startled. "Oh, of course! I'm so sorry, I should have recognized you." She apologized.

"No need to worry. We have not formally met prior to now."

"How do you do?" Vanessa curtsied. "Mrs. Collins told me of your generous offer. I cannot express my gratitude to you enough."

"You're welcome. Actually, that is the reason for my visit today. Given the recent crime in our area, I felt it was safer to deliver your loan to you personally." I told her.

Vanessa nodded. "Perhaps you should come to the back room with me." She gestured the way for me to follow her.

I looked around awkwardly.

The worktable dominated the back room, with a couple of stools near it. A basket of fabric samples was on the floor, and one of Vanessa's projects was spread out on the table. The shelves surrounding us were all bare.

"My stock was all stolen, but Mr. Emerson was kind enough to give me some of his remnant fabrics. I'm making cushions and handbags to sell until I can restock my supplies and resume my regular orders." Vanessa explained.

"Oh, excellent. Perhaps I shall have to order something as a little present for Mrs. Collins. She's often complained about the color and age of my sofa cushions. They were selected by my patroness for one of the previous rectors, but I believe that it was quite some time ago, as their stains betray the length of time since they bore their original lustre." Realizing I was rambling again, as was my tendency when I was nervous, I apologized.

"Sorry, I don't mean to go on in such a fashion."

"No, it's quite alright, Mr. Collins." Vanessa excused.

Seating myself on one of the stools, I deposited the valise onto the worktable.  
"Here is the sum you required." I said.

"Thank you ever so much, Mr. Collins." Vanessa smiled. "I shall repay you as soon as I am able, with interest."

"Take your time, miss." I offered. "Do what you must do to get this store up and running again, and don't even think of paying us any interest."

Vanessa was moved to speechlessness, and I wondered if she might cry.

I shifted on my stool uncomfortably. Taking a deep breath, I said, "I'm ever so sorry for before, for writing that letter to you, and everything else that happened. I should not have gotten in Mrs. Collins' way for trying to be friends with you and assist you."

Vanessa nodded silently. "I cannot say I blame you," she acknowledged, "for wanting to distance your wife and yourself from me. I'm well aware of how my association with Mrs. Collins has stained your reputation in these parts."

"Be that as it may," I continued, "I acted judgmentally and with consideration only for my own interests. Please consider this loan as my way of attempting to make up for the wrongs I have committed."

Vanessa smiled again. "Thank you, sir, I shall."

As a side note, I added, "I hope you might decide to join us some Sunday morning, and bring your friends along. I think you might find there has been a climate change in our congregation; people will be far more welcoming of you now than perhaps previously."

"I shall consider it." Vanessa told me. Thoughtfully, she said, "You know, I haven't darkened the doors of a church since I was a small child. My mother used to take me, but that was before Father left, and before she got sick. The Lord has been very merciful to me in bringing me back to Him, and that was largely due to Charlotte's efforts. You truly have a gem on your hands, Mr. Collins."

I smiled to hear this. "Yes, she is a far more priceless woman than I could ever have imagined when I married her."

"Take care of her, Mr. Collins". Vanessa urged.

I nodded in response. "I shall."

The conversation with Vanessa was still in my head when I came home.

"'Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies'" I recited as I entered the room where Charlotte was.

She looked up from her needlepoint. "Quoting King Solomon again, are we?" Charlotte teased. "That's from Proverbs thirty-one, am I right?" She asked.

"Right you are!" I praised. Continuing my recitation, I said, "'The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life'."

Charlotte put down her sewing and came to me. Wrapping our arms around one another in an embrace, we shared a tender kiss.

"Is everything settled with Vanessa?" She asked.

"It is." I replied. "I hope no further misfortunes will befall her." Biting my lip, I sighed. "I saw Bartleby when I was entering the bank."

"That man!" Charlotte fumed. "You didn't fight again, did you?" She worried.

"No, we behaved ourselves and kept our exchange civil, but seeing him does make me want to throw another punch." I admitted. "Bartleby did, however, make veiled threats when he surmised that I might be withdrawing gold to help Vanessa."

"Do you think he might do something?" Charlotte asked.

"With that man, anything is possible. We ought to be on guard, lest he should do something more despicable."

"I am sure he must be behind the robbery of Vanessa's store somehow, but I haven't been able to find a shred of proof tying him to the crime." Charlotte pouted.

"He's too clever for that," I shook my head. "If he was involved, he would have covered his tracks thoroughly."

"Well, hopefully if Vanessa's business can make a recovery, it will show him that no amount of crime or manipulation can deter her from making a fresh start."

"Let us hope that you are right, dear. Now, where were we?" I grinned, pulling Charlotte into my arms again.

"I think," Charlotte smiled slyly, "that you were in the middle of praising my virtues."

"Yes. Now, what was that other part that was said about the woman? The part I liked best? Ah yes. 'She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.'"

Letting Charlotte appraise me, she reported seductively, "yes, this wife does perceive that her merchandise is good….but I'm not certain any candle can stay lit all night long."

Fully aroused, I growled softly, "We'll just have to see about that." Then I took her by the hand and led her upstairs.

I awoke before dawn the next morning to the sounds of my servants shouting, "Fire! Fire!" I leapt from bed and ran downstairs, still in my nightclothes. Charlotte, having awoken also, was on my heels. Mrs. Perry was headed towards us, coughing from the clouds of smoke behind her. "Sir," she said, "the kitchen is on fire!"

 **A/N: Never a dull moment in the Collins' house! How do you think the fire got started? I'd love to know!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here you go guys, Chapter 13! For all of you who have been waiting for William to "grow a pair", you'll finally be rewarded!**

Chapter 13

Charlotte

Smoke poured out from the western side of the house, making me cough as I came down the stairs after William.

"Sir, the kitchen is on fire!" I heard Mrs. Perry tell my husband, her face panic-stricken.

"Try to remain calm, Mrs. Perry," William told her. "Get everyone outside and form a bucket brigade starting at the well."

I was impressed with his level-headedness in the face of such an emergency. I followed him through the front door, where we joined the servants who were lining up with buckets and any large containers they could find.

The smoke from the kitchen side of the house was rising high and the flames lit up the dark sky. Soon other neighbors arrived from the nearby farms, and some of the servants from Rosings. Two of the younger stablehands, the stable-master's sons, ran to the village to summon more help. It turns out that most of the parish was awake already, as it was Sunday and they were rising to dress for church, so our firefighting numbers quickly increased. By the time the sun was fully up, the fire was put out. Fortunately, it hadn't spread too far in the house. The kitchen was completely gone, sadly, as well as the servant's hall, but the rest of the house was spared.

The morning air was cool, and I shivered in my nightgown. Wrapping my shawl around me tighter, I was gratefully that it was summertime. William walked over to me. His face was covered in soot and ash.

"The last of the embers is dying out now." He told me. I allowed him to pull me into his open arms.

"I'm just grateful that no one was hurt." I said. "Do we have any idea how the fire began?"

William shook his head. "Mrs. Perry told me one of the maids woke up and smelled smoke. When she emerged from the basement quarters the kitchen was already on fire. Mrs. Perry thinks perhaps someone left something burning, such as a candle or tobacco pipe, and forgot about it."

I bit my lip. "I'm not certain that alone could cause a fire to break out."

"Neither am I." William frowned. "But at the moment, we have no clues to go off of." He sighed heavily. "I suppose church shall have to be cancelled this morning."

I nodded. "I think everyone will understand, under the circumstances." Turning my head sideways a little, I commented, "You were very cool and collected this morning. Thanks to your quick thinking, we were able to get the brigade formed before the fire could spread too far. You're quite the hero!" I praised.

William smiled bashfully. "Truthfully, I was completely terrified. Everything in me wanted to panic and run under my chair like a little mouse. But I knew everyone in our household was counting on me to take charge, so I just did the first thing I could think of to solve the problem."

Before we could continue any further, a carriage rolled up. Lady Catherine stepped out, and Miss de Bourgh after her. Before Lady Catherine could stop her daughter, she ran to me.

"Charlotte! I'm so glad you're alright!" Anne embraced me. "I was so worried when I heard about the fire."

"Yes, we are fine, though the kitchen is lost." I told her.

Lady Catherine decided to overlook her daughter's behavior and addressed William instead. "Mr. Collins," she said stiffly, "I am sorry for this unfortunate loss. I trust you and your servants are all unharmed?" She asked.

"Yes, your ladyship." William answered.

"Judging by the condition of your house, I suspect that it will be some time before your servants have a place in which to prepare your meals." The lady estimated.

William nodded glumly. "It would appear that way, Lady Catherine."

The great lady raised her chin slightly. "Far be it from me to deny my rector the ability to eat his meals. You and your wife are to come to Rosings to dine until your kitchen is rebuilt. Your servants may also eat with mine. I shall contract laborers to complete the renovation as expediently as possible."

"You are too magnanimous, your ladyship." William bowed slightly.

"I hope that this gesture will prove to you that I am not without compassion, even against those who have offended me." Lady Catherine sneered proudly.

"We are ever so grateful for your wondrous generosity." He praised again.

"Certainly," the lady said. "After all, I must make the parsonage fit to live in again, in the event I should need to fill it with another tenant."

"I pray that shall not be necessary, your ladyship." William pleaded.

"Indeed," was Lady Catherine's blunt response. Changing the subject, she said, "I shall have my cook send over coffee and rolls for all your volunteer firefighters, and I shall expect you for dinner this evening." She turned to head towards her carriage. Glancing back, she called, "come along, Anne! The carriage is leaving." Miss de Bourgh reluctantly followed her.

Turning back to William, I complained. "Every meal at Rosings! How can I stand such a thing? After all she's put us through?"

"From her perspective, the same could be said about us. Charlotte, Lady Catherine has extended us an olive branch. We would be wise to accept. It may be our only chance to repair things with her, and help her to accept our course of action. Besides, where else would we eat our meals?"

"With our friends, perhaps? Surely others in our parish will invite us over to dine. Or we could always go to the inn." I suggested.

"We may get a few invitations in the beginning, it's true." William admitted. "But that won't last until the repairs are complete, nor would it provide a solution for our servants, who need to eat just as much as we do."

I was forced to agree with his logic. "Just promise me that I can still be excused to eat elsewhere from time to time."

"If you wish." He nodded. "Just, not tonight, please." William begged.

"Very well, dear." I agreed reluctantly.

William

Soon after breakfast had been served and our parishioners dispersed, the constable arrived. He and his deputy began investigating the wreckage. A while later, they reported to me their findings.

"Mr. Collins, we have some bad news." The constable said. "This fire was no accident."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, judging by the course the fire took, we determined that it began at the stove."

I was confused. "That's not so unusual."

"Correct." The constable nodded. "However, when we examined the stove to see if it was faulty, we saw no signs of any problems. We did find remnants of a flammable liquid such as lantern oil spread around the bottom, and traces of rags soaked in the same fluid. Furthermore, there was a melted candle on the floor beneath the table."

"Could that not have started the fire then, dropped by one of the servants?" I thought of Mrs. Perry's original estimation.

The constable shook his head. "No. The candle melted when the fire reached it, as can be seen by the direction the wax spread. If it had started the fire, we would have likely found nothing left of it at all. It looks more like it was left there deliberately, to try to make the fire look like an accident."

"Were there any other clues as to who might have done all this?" I asked.

"Our investigation is still ongoing, but as of yet we have no leads. We have declared the area to be a crime scene, though, and we will have to ask that you and your servants keep out until the investigation is complete." The constable informed me.

"Yes, sir." I agreed. "The servants can enter their quarters from the east staircase, rather than through the servant's hall."

I was deeply troubled by all that the constable had related to me. I shared the details with Charlotte.

"Arson!" She exclaimed. "Is the constable certain about all this?"

"He said it isn't definitive, but based on his initial inspection, that's his belief, yes."

"Goodness! How can we feel safe in our own beds even, if there is a pyromaniac out on the loose?"

"I am just as alarmed as you are, dear." I said. "The constable does have some experience in post-fire investigation though. Do you remember the big fire back in 1798? Oh, no, you weren't here at that time, were you?" I suddenly realized. Strange, it felt like Charlotte had always been a part of my life.

"Sorry dear, that was quite a while ago. My father may have read about it in the papers, but I would have been unaware." Charlotte apologized.

"It's alright. Anyways, several of the shops in town caught fire and burned down. The constable was responsible for investigating the cause to determine if it was accidental or malicious. It took him several months, but he was able to reach the conclusion that someone had accidentally fallen asleep at his desk with his pipe lit, and the pipe fell down and rolled into a pile of rubbish they had left. The embarrassed man finally confessed after the constable's analysis pointed straight to him."

"Fascinating." Charlotte mused. "Do you think the constable might find anything that could tie the crime to Bartleby?"

"You think he's behind this?" I asked.

"Dear," Charlotte tilted her chin down, "you said yourself he made veiled threats to you only yesterday."

"Yes, but I hate to think he might have done this. It would mean he is even more dangerous than we originally thought. Isn't there anyone else who could be displeased about our recent affairs?" I wondered.

"Well, there's Lady Catherine." Charlotte suggested. "I mean, not that she would have done it personally, but she could have hired someone."

I shook my head. "Don't forget, she owns this house. I can imagine no situation in which she would stoop to destroy her own property to get back at us, nor employ a person to do any sort of dirty work for her."

Charlotte nodded. "I suppose I must concede with you on that. In spite of her many faults, such a scenario would seem out of character, even for her."

I thought for a moment. "Could it be a disgruntled servant, or perhaps a neighbor? We haven't exactly been the most popular in town, even after a large portion of the parish came over to our side."

"Possibly." Charlotte mused. "Though I can name no one off the top of my head who has enough motive, besides Mr. Bartleby."

"At any rate, we can do nothing until the constable's investigation is complete." I reminded her. "Let's get upstairs to dress for dinner. Lady Catherine will expect us to be punctual."

We arrived at Rosings precisely on time. After brief greetings in the parlor with Lady Catherine, we were summoned to the dining room.

"I apologize that Miss de Bourgh cannot join us this evening," Lady Catherine said. "She is unwell and will be dining in her room."

"How unfortunate. Please pass our regards for her swift recovery." I wished.

"Yes, please. I was looking forward to seeing her." Charlotte also said. She appeared a bit peeved. Perhaps she believed that Lady Catherine was keeping Miss de Bourgh from us on purpose.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting day," Lady Catherine commented dryly as the soup course was served.

"Indeed, your ladyship." I agreed.

"Such an unfortunate accident." She added, shaking her head.

Charlotte joined the conversation. "The constable thinks perhaps it was not an accident."

Lady Catherine's soup spoon clattered. "Not an accident!" She exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that someone set fire to your home on purpose?"

"Yes, Lady Catherine." I told her. "There is evidence suggesting arson."

"Well I never! I know you've been rather unpopular as of late," she rolled her eyes, "but who ever heard of someone going after their minister in such a despicable manner? I hope when they catch the rascal I can make him pay for the damages to my property. It won't be cheap to rebuild a whole wing!" Lady Catherine complained.

Charlotte glanced at me, and I smiled and shrugged as if to say, 'see, I told you she wouldn't have done it'.

"Our suspicions are that Mr. Bartleby may be the culprit." I said. "After all, he has the most motive."

"You mean that filthy tavern owner you assaulted?" Lady Catherine asked.

"Indeed, your ladyship. After all, besides his still being sore about that, he is displeased that we offered financial assistance to one of young women who were formerly in his employ."

"If that is the case, then surely there can be no better time for you to abandon your cause. If there is such a dangerous criminal threatening you, then you ought to leave well enough alone and let things go back to normal. No cause, no matter how noble it may seem or how dear to your heart, can be worth the cost of one's life and property!" Lady Catherine insisted.

"Tell that to the first century Christians who gave up their lives for their faith!" Charlotte interjected. "They were willing to face torture and imprisonment, even death in the Colosseum, for the sake of their cause."

Lady Catherine looked uncomfortably silent for a change. "Well, things were different then. It was a barbaric time, after all." She finally said. "Still, it wasn't long before even Rome accepted the faith and Christianity became the religion of the civilized world. Nowadays, one should not have to die for their beliefs in a Christian nation such as this."

I thought perhaps this could be the moment to sway Lady Catherine towards our cause.

"Could I then respectfully ask that you please stop your own persecution of us, your ladyship?" I begged.

Lady Catherine was offended. "Me, persecute you? I have done nothing but attempt to show you the error of your ways! I have told you from the very start that we must separate ourselves from the sins of the world, lest they pollute us, and that it is important not to disrupt the natural barrier between the upright and moral who walk the straight and narrow, and the depraved and wicked who wander the wide path to hell! Now that you have entangled yourself with those sinners, you have angered their kind and brought calamity upon your household!" Lady Catherine stood from the dinner table. "My discipline towards you was out of an effort to spare you from this kind of thing happening. Now, as your benefactress, I must insist that you relinquish your connection to all these worthless riffraff once and for all, before they burn the church down next!"

Charlotte argued, "the church is not a building, your ladyship. It's the people who worship together. The building may burn, but the church will live on, in spite of any terrorism."

"The 'church building', then, if you insist on my using theologically correct terminology, was built with my late husband's grandfather's money." Lady Catherine refuted. "It has sat on this estate for over seventy-five years, and I will not see it, nor any of my other property, destroyed because of your stubbornness. None of this would have ever occurred, Mrs. Collins, had you not come to this parish and began ruffling the order of things. Your husband never once disobeyed my authority until you came along and bewitched him, you 'Delilah'!"

Lady Catherine had incensed my fury. "You've gone too far, Lady Catherine!" I also rose from the table and threw down my napkin. "Mrs. Collins is no 'Delilah', she is my wife! I love her, and I support her with my eyes wide open, and I will not see you treat her thusly!"

Walking around the table swiftly, I put my hands on Charlotte's shoulders. Charlotte was so shocked by all that was happening, all she could do was sit there with her eyes wide and her mouth gaping.

I did not stop. "My wife and I are united; we will not stop our mission to see our former prostitute friends become independent from their previous employer, and to see him stopped from oppressing others. You have bullied us long enough, and we will not back down. Your manipulation and callous treatment of us over this subject must stop."

Lady Catherine glared at us. "If you cannot be made to see reason, then I guess there is only one thing for me to do: I shall write to Bishop Kingston for him to make a formal inquiry into your affairs. If he finds you to be guilty of mismanaging your parish and leading your congregation astray, then he shall have you removed from your position as rector."

"Then you are not evicting us, as you have previously threatened?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh, I would love to, woman, believe me!" Lady Catherine replied. To me she said, "But this parish will see that I am not a cruel benefactress. No, you shall remain until the bishop makes his decision. Then he shall be the one to declare you unfit to remain in this town, and another rector shall be installed at the parsonage in your stead."

The servants entered to present the main course, but Lady Catherine stayed them with her hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Collins have had an unexpected need to return home. Send a tray to my room, and do not serve the rest of the meal in the dining room." The servers nodded and took the food back to the kitchen with them.

"Please leave now." Lady Catherine commanded us.

"Gladly." I replied.

Lady Catherine turned to leave the room. At the last moment, she turned back to us. With a sneer, she said, "Oh, and to show that I am still not without a heart, you may take your meals in my kitchen along with your servants during this interim."

I had not the heart to thank her.

Charlotte

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined things going down the way they did. The gall William displayed in standing up to his benefactress was unparalleled! I really didn't know what had come over him. Apparently, neither did he. As soon as we were walking home, I could see the regret written on his face, his complexion pale and his voice shaky.

"Lord help me, what have I done?" He quivered. "I have just insulted our patroness, calling her manipulating, callous, and a bully! Lady Catherine will finish us for certain!"

I tried to reassure him. "You did the right thing, dear. I've been waiting for you to put Lady Catherine in her place since the day you first introduced me to her! Now it's time for us to let the chips fall where they may, where she is concerned."

"I must have been out of my mind back there, to say such things!" William put his hands on his head in disbelief over his own behavior.

"You were rightfully offended. Everything you said to her needed to be said a long time ago, dear." I put my hand on his back.

"But what shall we do? When Bishop Kingston comes, he will surely take Lady Catherine's side; she has been a long-time friend of his. I will be removed from the church, and then where will we go? Perhaps I ought to go back and apologize to her before she sends that letter." He turned to head back to Rosings, but I caught his arm.

"Don't disappoint me after that amazing display of backbone!" I could not keep back a small laugh.

William merely let out a whimper and turned back the way we were headed.

I reminded him, "even if things don't turn out the way we want, we will still have each other."

My husband nodded. "True. I certainly need you now, Charlotte. Don't let go of my arm, or I am certain I shall turn back into a spineless jellyfish and run to undo what I've just done. Everything in my instinct is telling me I've just made a horrible mistake."

"Then let me be your conscience," I said, "and reassure you that you have made the right choice, and that the Lord will look out for us as He always has." I stopped walking long enough to get in front of William and plant a nice kiss on his lips. Apparently, the gesture was just what he needed to gain some courage. Puffing up his chest, he grabbed my arm and marched straight the rest of the way home.

 **A/N: Woot! Well, that was fun! We are entering the final chapters now. In keeping with the interactive spirit, I am planning a special "Q & A" in the bonus content at the end of the story. I'd like to invite you to write to me via private message with any questions you may have, whether about me, about a favorite scene or portion of the story, something pertaining to the historical facts- anything really! Your question may be selected to appear along with my answer. :-) Please note that I will not consider questions submitted in a review. Until next week, readers!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Chapter 14 is finally up! My apologies for the delay; there were some details in the final chapters that I wanted to iron out before this chapter went to publication. I plan to release the remaining chapters a little quicker. :-)**

Chapter 14

 _Charlotte_

I loved seeing this new William, the one who would stand up for himself and his beliefs, and make the right choices even in the face of difficult consequences. He was maturing, and his actions reflected it. Still, I knew it was not easy for him. In many ways, he still felt completely out of his element. I realized that there were some things about him that would never change. His tendency to fret and fuss when he was worried or upset about something, for instance.

Every day he could not get out of his head that Lady Catherine was summoning a bishop to examine his conduct, and try as I might, I could not dispel his constant anxiety. William's eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and he spent a great deal of time discoursing with me about the "what if's". I tried to occupy him with small meaningless tasks; reorganizing the bookshelves in his study, pulling weeds in the garden, sorting old sermon notes, but none of them kept him busy for too long. All I could do was pray that somehow things would turn out alright after the bishop's visit.

Meanwhile, the arson investigation was still underway, so repairs on the kitchen could not even be started. Fortunately for my husband's sake, we did not have to lower ourselves to dining in the kitchen at Rosings very often. Many of our friends invited us to join them for meals, and we were frequent guests at the Emerson's. William even allowed us to dine out at the inn a couple of times, a rare treat!

Still, I was eager to discover who was behind the fire. My bets were still on Bartleby, though I could not shake my suspicion that Lady Catherine also had enough motive; despite William's insistence that she would never stoop to it, I thought that the refurbishment to our house might be small enough price for her to pay to prove herself right and convince us to drop our mission to the prostitutes.

Then there was still the mystery of who robbed Vanessa's shop. Thanks to the loan she received, she was able to resume business, but it irked me that we never caught the culprit. Who was the mysterious blonde woman that the neighbors had seen, if not Vanessa herself?

Vanessa and I were talking about all these conundrums one afternoon when she came to call at the parsonage.

"It just boggles my mind that we cannot uncover who is behind these crimes." Vanessa complained.

"Me too." I agreed. "The constable assures me that he and his deputy are doing all they can to solve the arson case, and the burglary too, but I wonder if perhaps the criminals have been too clever."

"Do you suppose there is any chance the two cases are linked?" Vanessa asked.

"I'd dearly love to place the blame for both on Bartleby, but the thief who entered your store appears to be a woman. I'm certain even he could not pull off disguising himself as that!" I grimaced.

"Though it would make quite the comic scene!" Vanessa laughed.

"Yes, it would!" I agreed mirthfully. "As for the arson," I changed the subject, "I wish we had some clues to point us in the right direction."

Vanessa thought for a moment. "The kitchen is closed off until the constable's investigation is complete, correct? We cannot search it ourselves."  
"Sadly, yes." I sighed.

"But that doesn't mean we are forbidden to search for clues elsewhere, does it?" She asked.

My interest was piqued. "What are you suggesting?"

"I think it might be worth a try to survey the woods surrounding your house, Charlotte. Perhaps we might find something that the constable has overlooked. It can't hurt, right?"

The idea of doing our own sleuthing was exciting! "Yes! Let's do it!" I exclaimed. Jumping out of my seat, I raced to grab a bonnet so we could be on our way.

 _William_

Desperate to escape my anxiety over the bishop's inquiry, I decided to pay my dear old aunt a visit. Aunt Violet lived a little over an hour's ride away, so I planned to head out late-morning, spend the afternoon with her, and likely return sometime after dinner. Charlotte assured me she would not be alone all day, as Vanessa was planning to call on her. With that knowledge, I kissed her goodbye and set out for my aunt's house.

The day was pleasant, and the roads easy, so I reached Aunt Violet's little cottage in no time. The sweet lady was enjoying the nice weather under the shade of her oak tree, sitting in her rocking chair with her quilting, when I arrived.

"William! What a pleasant surprise this is!" Aunt Violet exclaimed. She put her quilt down and planted a large, wet kiss on my cheek. "How is my favorite nephew?"

"Your _only_ nephew." I corrected her with a smile.

My aunt waved me off. "Details, details! But where is your lovely wife? I was so hoping to meet her. In your letters, you speak of nothing else but her beauty and grace!"

"I promise, Aunt, that we shall both visit you soon. But today, I just needed to get away from everything that's going on and see you."

"Dear me!" Aunt Violet gasped. "Is everything alright?"

"Not exactly. In fact, I am very much in need of your advice right about now."

My aunt brought me inside and made me sit down while she prepared some food. As we ate, I told her about my recent troubles.

"That's quite the pickle you're in!" Aunt Violet commented. "It sounds like you've had rather a rocky start to your marriage- in fact, you've been stuck between a rock and a hard place from the get-go!"

"I could not have said it better myself, dear aunt." I smiled wryly. "But I need to know, what should I do when Bishop Kingston arrives? He is expected within a few weeks."

"Dear boy, you needn't worry about that. From what I can see, you are doing a generous work in your community, and many people respect you for it."

"But what of my patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh? She has set herself against me, and she is a dear friend of the bishop's." I worried.

"Ha! I remember her from my days as a young woman, when your mother and I had our 'London season'-your grandmama's attempt to get us into higher society." My aunt rolled her eyes. "Lady Catherine was a debutante the same year as I was. I could certainly give you some dirt on her if you like. She wasn't always so squeaky-clean as she'd like you to believe; she was a bit of a rebel, back in her youth." Aunt Violet said with a twinkle.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm not certain that mudslinging is going to win me any favor with the bishop. I think the main object is for me to prove my conduct irreproachable." I reminded her.

"Alright, alright." Aunt Violet conceded with a laugh. "But just so you know, if she ever gives you any trouble again, you can always remind her about 'that time Miss Violet lent her a petticoat, the night of the Midsummer Ball'".

Amused, but not certain I wanted to know the particulars of that incident, I changed the subject.

"Suppose the bishop declares me unfit to lead my parish. What am I to do? If I were still single, I could perhaps return to university and study another profession, or go into trade. But now I must think of how I shall provide for Charlotte. I cannot support both of us and study at the same time." I explained. "Plus, there's the issue of where we would live. Without the parsonage, I am essentially homeless."

Aunt Violet shook her head. "Not homeless. You will always have a home here with me, for as long as you wish."

"Oh, Aunt Violet, we couldn't possibly impose on you like that."

"Nonsense. You are family. I would never wish you to be anywhere but here, if you had no place to call your own."

"But your house is so small, and we are hoping… at least, I am hoping, that our family will grow in time."

"And what a blessing that would be!" Aunt Violet imagined. "To hear the sound of little voices and tiny feet pattering in my house. It would be almost as good as having grandchildren! You know, sometimes I wish your uncle and I had raised children. Sadly, I was not able to have any while he was alive." My aunt looked so very wistful, I was reminded how painful it must have been for her, becoming a childless widow about ten years ago. I vowed to myself that I would make efforts to come visit her more often, and bring my family.

"At any rate," my aunt continued, "we will certainly make do, one way or another. That is, if what you fear should come to pass." She finished.

"Thank you, Aunt Violet." I smiled.

Aunt Violet's generosity gave me encouragement that at least I had a fallback plan should things not go in my favor with the bishop. My anxiety was, at least temporarily, calmed.

 _Charlotte_

I led the way around the side of the house to the woods on the west side of where the kitchen once stood.

"If the arsonist were to escape without risk of being seen, the safest route would be through these woods." I said. We searched the area for a bit without any luck. Then, suddenly, I spotted something on the bushes, a bit of black lace fabric. "What's this?" I wondered aloud.

"Let me see that." Vanessa took the piece from my hands. She studied it. "The lacework is very delicate. Whoever tore their garment must be sorry to have gouged such a hole." Vanessa's eyes widened and she gasped. "I think I've seen lace like this. Isabel has a black shawl that she wears often. I've often admired the lacework on it and the delicate fringe."

"Yes, I know the one you are thinking of. I've seen it also." I nodded.

"But, even if the lace were to be from her shawl, what would that prove, except that she was in these woods at some point?" Vanessa puzzled.

"You're right. Maybe we should continue searching a bit more." I agreed.

After more traipsing about, we were coming up shorthanded. "Let's head back towards the house." I suggested.

As we passed by the stables, Vanessa suddenly stopped me. "Who is that man? I recognize him." She pointed at one of our stablehands, a young man of about twenty, who was pitching hay.

"That's Jesse. He tends the horses." I explained. "Where did you see him?"

"He's frequented the tavern before. I believe he's one of Isabel's customers."

"Maybe we should talk to him. Even though the constable has questioned all our servants, he may be able to tell us if Isabel was here the night of the fire."

Jesse saw Vanessa out of the corner of his eye and did a double-take. "Oh, pardon me, miss, for a moment I thought you were someone else."

"But you've seen me before, haven't you?" She asked.

"Er, yes…" Jesse admitted. "You're Isabel's friend, aren't you?"

"I am. Can you tell us, have you seen someone wearing a shawl out of this material before?" Vanessa held up the piece of lace.

Jesse's face paled. "N-no, I've never seen that before." He stammered.

I wasn't about to be dissuaded. "Jesse." I said firmly. "You need to tell us. Has Isabel visited you here at the parsonage before?"

Jesse panicked, and for a moment I thought he might run. Then he caved in. "Yes, she came to see me, just once before. We're in love, you see, even though she has to cater to lots of men for her job. She told me she wanted to be with me, but her boss wouldn't allow it. So she asked if she could come see me, late at night when no one would know, and I could let her into the servant's quarters."

I was fairly certain I knew the answer to my next question, but I asked it anyways. "When was it that Isabel came to see you last?"

"I didn't want to say before, see, because I knew it might look suspicious. But it was the night of the fire, ma'am." Jesse was absolutely terrified. "Please don't dismiss me! Isabel was just coming to see me, I'm sure of it!"

I frowned. "The fate of your employment hangs uncertain," I warned him, "but Mr. Collins and I may decide to keep you on if you continue to cooperate with us. Was Isabel wearing her black shawl the night of the fire?"

Jesse nodded. "I think so. But she left long before the fire started, at least an hour or more."

"Do you have any proof of that?" I demanded.

He shook his head. "None. Isabel came around three, after her shift at the tavern ended. We were, er, fooling around for a couple of hours, and then she left." Jesse said. I certainly didn't want to hear the details of what they did that whole time. But then he said something surprising. "Isabel did make an unusual request, though. She asked me if I could keep a blonde wig of hers for her, said it was something she used to entertain her customers on occasion. I said 'sure, so long as you model it for me!'" Jesse grinned.

Vanessa's eyes narrowed. "Wait, that wig- is it the same shade as my hair?"

"Yup, that's why when I saw you I thought it was her for a moment, wearing that wig." Jesse admitted.

"Jesse, do you still have the wig someplace?" I asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Then Jesse frowned. "But, this won't get Isabel in any trouble, will it?" He asked. "I mean, she was just using it for play-acting, and all."

"That depends, Jesse. But I will tell you, if you refuse to produce the wig, I will report you to the constable for obstruction of justice!" I threatened.

Jesse went to his quarters, and soon returned with the wig.

"Why, it does look a lot like my hair!" Vanessa exclaimed. "Isabel is around my same height and build, and her attire is similar to mine. If she were to wear this wig, I could see how someone might confuse her with me, if it were dark and they saw her from the side or the back."

Jesse looked bewildered. "I don't see what all this has to do with the fire, miss."

"It doesn't, exactly, but it may help us solve a different mystery." Vanessa told him.

"May we have this wig, Jesse?" I asked. "And your testimony, if needed?"

Jesse nodded.

Vanessa and I left the young man alone after that. As we walked, I headed not for the house, but for the gate.

"Where are we going?" Vanessa asked.

"To see Isabel." I said.

"But all we have proof of is that she was at the parsonage the night of the fire, and that she owns a wig that could have been used to impersonate me."

"Maybe it's not enough evidence to charge her with either crime, but it's enough to confront her with. Let's see what she has to say about all this."

It was daytime, so we knew the Drunken Skunk would be sparsely populated. Still, we knew we needed to exercise caution to avoid being seen by anyone. We took the back alleys to reach the tavern, and went up the rear staircase.

"Luckily, I never returned my key to the apartments." Vanessa smiled as she opened the door.

We knocked on Isabel's door, twice, but there was no answer. Vanessa tried the handle. Surprisingly, it was unlocked.

"Half the locks here don't even work. Bartleby doesn't exactly care whether our privacy and safety is kept, so he doesn't bother to fix things like that." Vanessa quipped.

Isabel was absent from the room, which gave us the opportunity to look around. Things looked fairly normal, but I decided to check under the bed. "Vanessa, look!" I exclaimed. She bent down so she could see what I had found. Underneath the sagging bed were boxes of lantern oil. Inside, several of the containers had been used.

"I didn't see any oil lamps sitting around here." I said.

"Most of us just settled for the cheap tallow candles and rushlights Mr. Bartleby provided. Oil is expensive, after all." Vanessa explained.

Just then, Isabel returned.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

Vanessa and I stood. "We've just come to talk to you," I said.

"Looks more like you were breaking and entering!" Isabel said angrily.

"It's not 'breaking and entering' when the lock's already broken!" Vanessa defended.

I put my hand on Vanessa's arm to quiet her.

"Isabel, we talked to Jesse. We know you came to the parsonage the night of the fire. We also have your wig that he gave to us." I said calmly.

"That rat! I knew I couldn't trust him!" Isabel railed.

"Don't blame Jesse, we threatened his job if he didn't confess to us. We found other evidence linking you to that night. May I see your shawl?" I asked Isabel about the black lace wrapped around her shoulders. Isabel shied away, revealing a gaping hole on one side. I went to her, bringing the black lace scrap out of my handbag. I put it against the hole. It matched. Isabel's face was stricken with shock.

"We found this in the woods near the parsonage." I told her. "It appeared to have ripped off when the wearer was fleeing. Now we know for certain that the person who ran through those woods was you."

Vanessa contributed, "we also found your supply of lantern oil beneath your bed. Would you mind telling us why you purchased such a large quantity, and why so much has been used, when you do not own any oil lamps or lanterns?"

Isabel started to shake. She sat down on the bed, then she began to cry.

"I didn't want to do it!" She insisted. "He made me do it!"

"Who did? Do what?" I asked.

"Bartleby. He forced me to to go your home and start that fire. Believe me, Charlotte, I never wished you nor anybody else harm!"

I was still puzzled. "But why would you listen to him? What power does he have over you?"

"Couldn't you have just run away with Jesse, if he'd prohibited it?" Vanessa asked.

"Jesse?" Isabel choked out a laugh. "That poor fool thought I loved him. But no, he was just a pawn in this whole thing, like I was. The truth is, Bartleby threatened to expose me for my part in robbing the store if I didn't cooperate with his plan for the arson."

"So that was you too?" Vanessa asked. "You donned that wig and pretended to be me the night my store was broken into?"

"I'm sorry, Vanessa," Isabel apologized. "I didn't want to do that either. I stole your spare key from the drawer earlier in the day, and used it to open the store after you'd gone home. Then, I let two of Bartleby's thugs in through the back door and they cleaned out everything under cover of night."

"Yes, I remember now, you came to the store that day, asking about getting a dress made. I left you alone by the counter for a minute while I went to the back in search of a fabric you wanted." Vanessa recalled.

"That's right." Isabel said. "I used that opportunity to take the key, then returned it the next day while you were all dumbfounded over the empty shelves and pestering the neighbors for clues."

"But why, Isabel?" I asked. "It still doesn't make any sense that you would do these things. Do you really hate Vanessa and I that much?"

"No! Not at all!" Isabel said through more tears. "I never wished ill on either of you. But Bartleby, he threatened to throw me out in the streets if I didn't help him. What's more, he was going to hurt my father."

"Your father?" I asked.

"My father is very ill." Isabel explained. "He has to go to a particular doctor in London for his treatments and to get his medication. There aren't many doctors who can treat his illness; it's rare. Mr. Bartleby assisted me in finding my father's doctor, a man he's friends with. Bartleby said if I didn't help him, he would tell his doctor friend to stop treating my father. If that happens, we can't afford to go to another doctor, and he'll die!" Isabel continued to sob. "Bartleby also said he'd write a letter to my father, and tell him what I've been up to the last several years. My father thinks I have a respectable position as a governess. If he knew the money I've been sending him came from working as a prostitute, the news of that alone might kill him."

I patted Isabel's back. "Oh, Isabel, I had no idea."

"So you see? I'm trapped! If I didn't help Bartleby, I'd be sending my father to an early grave. But now that I'm complicit, I can't turn Bartleby in for his coercion. I'm so sorry, both of you!"

"Why didn't you come to us for help?" Vanessa asked.

"Because I was afraid." Isabel answered. "I didn't want Bartleby to go through with his threats, and I didn't think there was anything you could do to help me stop him. But now that you know what I've done, you should just turn me over to the constable. It's better that I should just rot in prison for my crimes against you than to continue helping Mr. Bartleby."

"As if we would do that!" I said in disbelief. "No, what we need is to find some proof that Bartleby coerced you. Then we can have him arrested, and you can make a bargain in exchange for testifying against him."

"That's just it," Isabel shook her head. "It's my word against his. In fact, he claims he has proof that I was the one responsible for the robbery and the arson. It's what he's been holding over my head in case I try to squeal."

I shook my head. "He couldn't have proof. If he had, he would have just used it by now and had you locked up."

Isabel still wasn't sure. "I think the only reason he hasn't is because with you gone, Vanessa, and the others, I'm the only harlot he's got to keep his brothel customers around. If any of you came back, or if he got some new recruits, I'd suddenly be disposable to him."

"Well, we can't let that happen, can we?" Vanessa said angrily. "We've got to find a way to get you out of this mess!"

I tried to remain calm. "Think, Isabel. Is there anything that could corroborate your story? Anyone else who knew about the plan?"

"Only the thugs who assisted with the robbery. But there's not a chance of getting a confession out of them. They're not even from around here, just friends of Bartleby's who helped him fence what they could out of the stolen goods."

We didn't know what to do next. Isabel worried that if we dallied too long in her room that we might be discovered. She helped us check that the coast was clear, then kept watch while we snuck out through the back stairs again. Vanessa and I made our way to the Emerson's house; I wanted to be sure Vanessa arrived safely home.

Mrs. Emerson was at home when we came through the door.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Collins." She greeted, then pointing to the table, said, "a letter's come for you, Vanessa." Mrs. Emerson took her tea with her and left the room.

Vanessa picked up the letter in question. When she read it, her face paled.

"What is it?" I asked, worried.

"Bartleby has sent me an official notice. My debt is being recalled in full, effective immediately." Vanessa put the paper down on the table for me to see.

"He can't do that, can he?" I picked up the letter to study it. The notice was sent from an attorney's office in London. It stated that Vanessa had until September 7th to pay the debt in full, or she would be arrested and taken to debtor's prison. "The seventh? That's this Monday!" I exclaimed. "Doesn't he have to give you reasonable time to pay back the debts? He can't recall the debt if you've been faithful to make your payments." I insisted.

"You forget, this is Bartleby we are talking about. He's got his attorney to find a way to weasel around the laws, and he's got the magistrate in his pocket. Don't you know that your husband was lucky to get off so easily when he attacked Mr. Bartleby? If the magistrate hadn't had a respect for the clergy, he would have fared much worse."

"I had no idea." I said, shaking my head.

"There's no way I can repay all the debt! I've already used most of the money you've given me to reopen my store." Vanessa groaned.

"Bartleby is definitely on the warpath. But what can we do? We promised to help Isabel too." I felt quite lost.

"What seems to be the trouble now, ladies?" A voice asked us. It belonged to Mr. Emerson, who had just returned from his work.

We related everything to the draper. When we finished, he said, "I think I may have a solution, but I'll need a few days to work out the arrangements. Tell your friend, and the other two if they're interested, to meet here in three night's time. All of you, pack what you need and bring it with you."

"What do you have in mind, Mr. Emerson?" Vanessa asked.

"You're going to run away!" He replied with a smile.

 **A/N: Sorry, guys, it's another cliffhanger ending (I must be addicted to those!). Next week's chapter should resolve a great deal of the conflicts though, so tune in!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry again for the delay. Preparations for hosting Thanksgiving for the first time ever (and cooking a whole turkey for the first time!) kept me from devoting my energy to writing as much as I wished. At any rate, the holiday was a success, and I have a new chapter ready for you! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**

Chapter 15

 _William_

It was after nightfall when I returned home from visiting Aunt Violet. Charlotte was waiting for me, apparently eager to tell me something.

"Hello darling, I'm surprised you're still up." I greeted.

"William, there's so much for me to tell you." She returned, giving me a quick kiss. I sat down on the sofa with her and listened about her revelatory afternoon.

"Good gracious!" I exclaimed. "So Bartleby was using that poor girl and making threats against her father to force her to commit the robbery and arson?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, Isabel has no way to prove that Bartleby coerced her. If she goes to the authorities, they can only arrest her and put her on trial for the crimes." Charlotte told me.

I shook my head. "That would seem completely unfair and unfortunate, given the kind of man we're dealing with here."

"I agree."

Charlotte went on to tell me of Bartleby's letter to Vanessa, demanding payment of her debts in full, and of Mr. Emerson's plan to help all the prostitutes. Mr. Emerson had a sister living up north who ran an inn. According to him, she was always in need of help, and wasn't too scrupulous about who she hired, so long as they had a reference. He was going to write to her to confirm that she had room for four more maids, and recommend that she help out these four "cousins", who would all be given new aliases.

"But if any evidence points to Isabel, won't the authorities track her down, and charge her also with attempt to evade justice?" I asked. "Furthermore, won't we all be complicit in obstruction of justice if we don't come forward with what we know?"

"Would it be justice to send Isabel to prison for something Bartleby forced her to do?" Charlotte reminded me. "If she is safely out of his reach, we can continue to search for proof of his involvement in the two cases, and ensure that at the very least, he will go down and Isabel can get a reduced sentence."

I nodded that I understood. "When will the girls' departure take place?"

"Mr. Emerson is waiting on a response from his sister. If all goes well, they will leave in the middle of the night the day after tomorrow." Charlotte explained.

"Then I wish them Godspeed." I blessed.

 _Charlotte_

Mr. Emerson sent word two days' later that his sister was on board with the plan, and that he had arranged for a coach to convey the girls the entire way under cover of night, stopping only once to change horses. I made a mental note to thank him for his generosity. An additional bonus came when we learned that Mr. Bartleby would be gone the whole night. He had taken a trip to London and would not be back for a few days. It seemed everything was lining up just right.

I wasn't sure what to do with myself, I was so nervous in anticipation over the girls' escape that night. I decided to take a walk around the rectory grounds.

I was surprised to see the door to the church was ajar. I went inside. Isabel was sitting in one of the pews, staring at the beautiful stained glass depiction of Christ hanging on the cross.

"Isabel, what are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte, I only came here to think by myself for a bit." She apologized.

"No, it's quite alright. You are always welcome here." I told her.

Seating myself beside her on the pew, I asked, "Are you nervous about tonight?"

Isabel nodded. "Certainly. Plus, I cannot help but wish there was some other way. I don't feel right running away from my crimes."

"Bartleby's crimes." I corrected her. "Which you were forced to commit on his behalf. I swear he'd be sitting in a jail cell already if I had any way to tie things to him."

Isabel changed the subject. "Charlotte, do you think God will ever forgive me for everything that I've done?" A single tear traced down her cheek.

I put my hand atop hers tenderly. "Isabel, He already has forgiven you. You need only to accept His forgiveness. That picture you were looking at when I came in?" I pointed to the stained glass. "That was the moment when He forgave you, when His son Jesus willingly took the punishment for your sins upon himself. In that very hour, Jesus' last words were 'it is finished', and the debt for every sin ever committed in the history of mankind, past, present, and future, was paid for and forgiven by God."

Isabel's watery eyes looked up at the portrait of the Saviour. "But why would He do it?" She asked. "Why would God let His own son die for my sins?"

"Because, Isabel, He loves you. He knew you before you were even born, and planned good things for you all the days of your life. You have only to accept the gifts He is offering in order to receive all the fullness of His love, forgiveness, mercy, and many other blessings."

Isabel was still skeptical. "It all sounds too good to be true. How can I know that this is all real, and not just something people believe to make themselves feel better?"

"Jesus' followers didn't believe at first either. Before the crucifixion, Jesus told them that he was going to die for their sins, but they didn't understand what he meant. He also told them that he would be coming back. Three days after he died, he came back to life, and his followers saw the empty tomb and later saw him alive in the flesh. After that, they knew that everything he had told them, everything he promised them, was true." I told her.

"So, because Jesus came back to life like he promised, we can believe that he really is the Saviour?" Isabel asked me.

"That's right!"

Isabel was silent for a few minutes, and I watched as the internal struggle played out across her face. Finally, she said, "Okay. How do I do this? How do I receive God's forgiveness?"

"All you have to do is talk to God through prayer. Tell God you are sorry for your sins, and that you believe in what Jesus did to pay for them. Then, ask for His forgiveness and invite Him to be the Lord of your life." Isabel nodded. As she prayed, I felt a calm presence all around us, and I knew that the spirit of God was with us, filling the church. When she finished, Isabel told me, "For the first time in my life, Charlotte, I feel peace." I smiled and embraced her.

 _William_

It was the middle of the night. The summer air was balmy with a slight breeze, and the skies clear and bright with the stars and moon. The perfect night for a journey. I went with Charlotte to the Emerson's house to see the four women off, and ensure that everything went smoothly.

Vanessa and two of the girls, who I presumed to be Lily and Selina by Charlotte's descriptions, were already there. Not two minutes later, the last girl, Isabel, arrived. She was beaming from ear to ear.

"Isabel, you look quite changed, what's happened?" Vanessa asked her.

"I'm a different person now." Isabel replied. The others gave her puzzled looks, so she went on, "I may not really be your 'cousin', but Charlotte tells me we are all now sisters in the Lord." Charlotte grinned, and Lily exclaimed, "that's wonderful!" The five women all gathered together in a cluster embrace. I stood witness to the whole thing, feeling incredibly proud of my wife. She was reaping the harvest of her labour, right before my eyes. Because of her faithfulness, four of her friends had turned to the Lord, and I knew she would see many more souls redeemed so long as she continued loving others the way she had with these women.

In that moment, I knew that I too had a calling, to help the lost, the needy, the outcast, the poor in spirit- any who were in need of a Saviour. I may have joined the clergy for selfish reasons, to better my standing in the community, and enjoy a comfortable life, but God knew what He was doing all along. He put me right where He wanted me and called me from the very beginning; it was I who was only just now realizing that purpose I had been given. I knew then that even if God should allow me to lose my title and my home, that no matter where I went or what profession I led, my purpose would remain the same.

The sound of hoofbeats and wheels clattering was heard outside. "That'll be the coach now." Mr. Emerson said. "Collect your belongings while I speak with the coachman." He told the women.

But it wasn't the coach at all. Mr. Emerson returned, bringing the constable with him. The constable looked quite surprised to see us all there in the middle of the night.

"Good evening." He greeted. "I'm not certain what all this is about, but I've come to see Miss Vanessa. Miss, I'm here to inform you that you are released from your debts. Mr. Bartleby was killed earlier this evening."

Vanessa was too stunned to speak.

I filled the silence by inquiring, "May I ask how this happened, sir?"

The constable told us, "Cassius Bartleby apparently owed a great deal of money to another man. He went to London hoping to win the money by gambling, but he lost everything he had. The man who he was indebted to became angry and impatient, knowing Bartleby had not the funds to repay him, and told him he had run out of chances. He murdered him in a back alley behind the gambling hall. A servant boy witnessed the whole thing in hiding and went to the authorities after."

All the women breathed a huge sigh of relief and tearfully laughed. "We're free!" Vanessa cried.

As the constable left, the hired coach pulled in behind his carriage.

"You're late!" Mr. Emerson complained. "But it seems we no longer have need of your services."

 _Charlotte_

Bartleby's death may have meant that Vanessa, Lily, and Selina could finally breathe free, but Isabel was still troubled, wondering how she could prove Bartleby's coercion, now that he was no longer able to be tried in court. But a solution came quickly. Shortly after Mr. Bartleby's murder, one of the maids from the Drunken Skunk came forward to the constable, bearing testimony that she had overheard him threatening Isabel over her father and the robbery and ordering her to commit the arson. The constable, unfortunately, had to arrest Isabel and take her to trial before the magistrate and a jury. With the maid's testimony, though, Isabel was able to prove that her actions were all under duress, and she was granted pardon by the jury.

We soon learned that the tavern was to be auctioned off by the bank, in their effort to recover some of the enormous debts Bartleby owed. Half the town turned up to witness the public auction. Of course, William and I were eager to know who should become the new owner, so we went, as did the four women. Even Lady Catherine was curious enough to attend, though she remained at the rear apart from the rest of the crowd.

The first bid was made by the innkeeper, followed by several other business owners, and a few wealthy landowners, including Lord Greenbury (who probably hoped to save his favorite late-night retreat). Then a mysterious bidder in a cloak began their input. Lord Greenbury raised his bid, but the mystery bidder upped theirs as well. The bidding war continued for several minutes, each unwilling to concede the sale to the other. Finally, Lord Greenbury threw up his hands in defeat.

"Going once, going twice," the auctioneer called, "sold! To the person in the black cloak, for _ pounds."

The winner of the auction threw back the hood of their cloak, revealing them to be none other than... Anne de Bourgh! The crowd gasped. I was also rendered speechless.

Lady Catherine marched to her daughter, livid. "Anne, I forbid you from buying this property! Have you no understanding of what this place is?"

"I understand perfectly, Mother." Anne replied. "Hence, I want to ensure that it is no longer used for the purposes that it has been."

"Well, I am not going to give you the money to go through with this. Lord Greenbury can have his den of wickedness for all I care!" Lady Catherine flipped her hand. Lord Greenbury huffed, but said nothing.

"You don't have to give me the money." Anne told her mother. "I have been to visit your solicitor, Mr. Dawson. He was helpful in informing me that as of my twenty-fifth birthday, I became legally entitled to my inheritance, a fortune which allows me to more than easily afford this purchase."  
The lady persisted. "I will not permit you to squander your inheritance on this!"

"Mother, you have no say in the matter. According to this," Anne presented a document the solicitor had provided, "I have sole discretion of the funds in my account. And I do not plan to squander them. It is my plan to turn the Drunken Skunk into a home for needy women, particularly those who are former prostitutes, or who find themselves in desperate circumstances and need an alternative to resorting to prostitution to save themselves."

I spoke up. "That's an excellent plan! I for one will be happy to assist you in the founding of such a home."

"We both will." William added, placing his hand on the small of my back. I looked to him and smiled.

Lady Catherine turned on us both. "You two! If it weren't for you, my daughter would have never concocted such a plan, to waste the de Bourgh fortune and bring our family to ruin!" Rounding about to her carriage, she whipped back to look at us one more time. "I'm not finished with you yet! I've had a letter from Bishop Kingston. He'll be here to conduct the investigation of your conduct the day after tomorrow!" With that, Lady Catherine swiftly climbed into her carriage and ordered her driver to speed off.

I looked at William's face. He seemed pale.

"Well, now it's come." He whispered, watching Lady Catherine's barouche disappear into the distance.

 _William_

In spite of my belief that the Lord would take care of us know matter what, that knowledge did nothing to dispel my nerves. Bishop Kingston had written us a line which arrived that morning, informing us that he expected to arrive about one o'clock. I anxiously paced about the sitting room, stopping every few minutes to sigh and put my hands on my head.

"Sit down, dear, before you wear a hole through the rug!" Charlotte ordered. I obeyed, stealing a glance at the clock as I did. Still only quarter-past twelve. I wished the bishop might arrive early; better to get things over with sooner.

"I can't help it Charlotte, it's in my nature to worry about such things."

"I know, but there's no use fretting at this point. 'Che sarà sarà', 'whatever will be will be'." Charlotte reminded me.

I smiled weakly.

"Now, why don't you drink some tea?" Charlotte suggested, pouring me a cup. "It will help calm your nerves."

The bishop arrived right on schedule. "Good afternoon, my lord." I greeted him. "As I'm sure you've guessed, I am Mr. Collins, and this is my wife, Mrs. Collins."

"Welcome to our home, Bishop Kingston." Charlotte curtsied.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." The bishop replied.

"We are so honored by your presence. I hope your journey was pleasant, and the weather fine." I remarked.

"It was."

"I must say, that is an excellent black cassock which you are wearing. The stitching is fine, and the fabric hangs so as to make the wearer appear taller. You must tell me who is your supplier of clerical robes and vestments."

Before the bishop could answer, Charlotte interjected, "my dear, perhaps our guest might like to sit down after his journey."

The bishop, thankful for the interruption, made his way to the sofa.

Charlotte offered him some tea, which he accepted. Setting down his cup after a few sips, he began, "I have already called on Lady Catherine de Bourgh, to hear further testimony regarding the matter which she summoned me regarding. She has also provided me with a list of witnesses who she claims will support her allegations."

I nodded trepidly. "I see, my lord."

Bishop Kingston went on, "I would like to request that you provide me with a similar list of references, people who can testify as to your character and the work you are accomplishing here in this parish."

Charlotte was already prepared. "I have a collection of names here for you, my lord," she said, handing him a sheet of paper. "Please feel free to inquire amongst all our friends in this community. Noticing my surprised look at how prepared she was, Charlotte returned it with one that suggested I should have been the one prepared. I mentally kicked myself for not putting in more research into clerical investigative procedures.

Noting that the paper was covered with names on both sides, the bishop said, "thank you for your extensive references. It shall take me some time to query all of the people on my lists. While I am here though, I would be pleased if you could offer me your own testimonies."

"Certainly." I told the bishop, feeling my throat tighten and my hands getting more and more clammy.

Bishop Kingston began by clarifying the accusations against us. "Lady Catherine claims that you have been disrupting the order of society, by encouraging your parish to mingle with known sinners, and by inciting anger from the locals. She also insists that you have set a poor example of moral conduct and are responsible for the moral decline of others, including her daughter. I have heard her side of the argument, along with all the particulars. Now I would like to hear yours."

"Bishop Kingston," I began, "what Lady Catherine alleges couldn't be further from the truth. This all began a few months ago, when my wife befriended a young woman who was working as a prostitute." I reached out to grasp Charlotte's hand, and she smiled back at me. "Before long, she was leading four such women in a Bible study, and has seen them all come to faith in turn. Subsequently, they have all left their former profession and are now aiming to lead respectable, sin-free lives."

"What you should know, my lord," Charlotte supplied, "is that we do not condone sin, but we encourage repentance through acceptance of the person, rather than judgement upon their actions. The example we strive to set for our parish is one of love and compassion, free from condemnation and hypocrisy. For as you know, all men are sinners, and God judges the Gossip and the Murderer alike. No sin is worse than another, in His eyes, and all are in need of a Saviour."

"Quite so." The bishop replied. "But what of the claim that you have disrupted society? I presume that not everyone was so eager to follow your example? Certainly, Lady Catherine has had her qualms about it."

"Sadly, not everyone is willing to repent. The tavern owner, Mr. Bartleby, for one, and many of his patrons, enjoyed living in sin and/or making a profit off of it. For some, their sins eventually catch up to them." I said, thinking of the recent demise of Mr. Bartleby.

"Yes, I heard Lady Catherine mention something about her daughter being persuaded to buy the property of the late tavern owner. Apparently there's some story that he was murdered?" The bishop asked.

"That's right, my lord. His gambling debts caught up to him in the worst way, and he paid for it with his life." I answered.

"Terrible." Bishop Kingston shook his head.

Charlotte spoke again. "Miss de Bourgh hopes to turn his former house of sin into a house of redemption, a safe haven for former prostitutes and other destitute women. 'Magdalena House', as she plans to rename it, will provide housing and education, in an effort to keep women off the streets and out of the brothels."

"I see." The bishop nodded. Rising from his seat, he said, "Well, I think I have all the testimony I need from you at the moment. If you'll give me a few days to interview the other witnesses, I shall be in contact with you."

"Thank you, my lord." I shook the bishop's hand.

"We look forward to seeing you again, Bishop Kingston." Charlotte bade as our guest exited the house.

The next few days, it was all I could do to keep myself together. Poor Charlotte tried everything to keep me distracted, but my mind was already preoccupied. Even sleep brought me no respite, as my nightmares tormented me with visions of dire consequence. In my most bizarre one, I sat in a courtroom with the bishop as a towering judge holding a gavel large enough to smash me like an insect, and Lady Catherine as the prosecuting attorney, complete with barrister's robes and wig. The Lady Catherine-attorney kept making all kinds of accusations, until finally the bishop-judge pronounced me "guilty",and stripped me of my title, home, and everything I owned. I stared in horror as his gigantic gavel came crashing down upon me. Then I woke up.

At last, after three days' time, the bishop sent notices to both Lady Catherine and I, requesting we meet him on neutral territory- outside the church- for him to present the results of his investigation.

Charlotte went with me, naturally. Lady Catherine was already there when we arrived, but the bishop was not. "Mr. Collins." Lady Catherine nodded to me with a sniff.

"Lady Catherine." I nodded back stiffly.

Bishop Kingston was not far behind us. He addressed Lady Catherine first.

"My lady, I have researched your claims, and interviewed the witnesses you provided me. Meeting with Lord Greenbury was especially interesting." The bishop raised his eyebrows slightly." Then he turned to us. "Mr. and Mrs. Collins, I have also questioned the people on your list of names. The Emerson's and Miss de Bourgh, in particular, were most helpful to me."

Lady Catherine scowled at the mention of yet another betrayal on her daughter's part. "And, have you come to a conclusion? Do you agree with my claims that this man is unfit to lead the church in this parish?" She asked.

Mine and Charlotte's ears waited for the bishop's response.

"I have come to a conclusion, my lady," Bishop Kingston said, "but I'm afraid you may not be pleased with the results."

Charlotte and I looked to each other, excitedly.

The bishop went on, "My investigation has shown that not only is Mr. Collins a fine minister of upright moral standing, but he is the very model of an excellent clergyman, demonstrating mercy, compassion, and true Christianity for his congregation. Mrs. Collins, also, is everything a parson's wife ought to be: loving, kind, dedicating to helping others, and concerned for the work of the Lord. I am especially pleased to see the work they are doing to rescue ladies of the night, an area of ministry that is sorely lacking or absent in most parishes. If you had not interfered," the bishop directed at Lady Catherine, "their ministry might have made even more headway. Why is it that you are in such opposition again?" Bishop Kingston asked.

"I-I...that is…" Lady Catherine, for once, was speechless.

"My recommendation, lady, is that you cease hostilities and instead embrace the opportunity to be of benefit to your community. Your support could further increase the generous stipend I am issuing from the church headquarters to help spearhead their mission." The bishop nodded at us.

Charlotte and I were both surprised.

"Thank you so much, my lord!" Charlotte expressed.

Lady Catherine was still paralyzed.

"Of course, should you still wish to rescind your patronage of Mr. and Mrs. Collins, as you originally threatened, you are free to do so. It is your money, after all. But the Church of England plans to keep Mr. and Mrs. Collins installed in this parish for as long as they wish. Another potential patron has come forward, stating that he would replace you as their benefactor, and that he would purchase the parsonage from you, or another residence in this vicinity, should that be the case."

"And who might this patron be, may I ask?" Lady Catherine finally found her voice, albeit demurred.

"He prefers to remain anonymous, my lady." The bishop answered. "But you should know that there are many in town who feel you have been less than generous towards the church, as of late, and others who supported you only because you assured them that you were acting according to Christian principles. Once I told them that the church did not agree with some of your principals, they were reluctant to go against the church. It would be in your best interest, I think to regain some of your popularity by supporting the ministries and ministers that your church has sanctioned."

Lady Catherine thought for a few moments, eyes downcast. "Yes, my lord." She answered softly. "You may consider the charges I brought forward to be dropped, and my patronage maintained. I will also do as you request and supply additional funds for the new project, of an amount the church deems worthy." Lady Catherine concluded, defeated. The great lady pulled herself together. Standing straight and proud once again, she turned to Charlotte and I.

"Enjoy your tenure, Mr. Collins. Dinner will be at seven o'clock sharp, in the dining room." Lady Catherine announced. "Bishop, you are to join us also, if you are able. My cook will be serving roast lamb."

"One of my favorites." The bishop smiled, accepting her invitation.

Lady Catherine nodded to us all, before walking up the path towards Rosings.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Collins!" Bishop Kingston shook my hand and tipped his hat to Charlotte.

As the bishop left to go back to the inn in town where he was staying, I gave Charlotte a great big embrace. "Praise the Lord, we are saved!" I cried. I planted a large kiss on Charlotte's lips.

"I knew it would all turn out alright." Charlotte said as our lips parted. Then she closed the gap again with another kiss.

 **A/N: So many things wrapped up finally in this chapter! The next chapter will be the final installment of this story. I am looking forward to sharing it with you all soon!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Tearfully, at long last, I give you the final chapter of "The Parson's Wife." Many thanks to all my faithful readers, both those of you who have been with me since day one, and to all who discovered this story afterwards. A special thanks also to everyone who took the time to review my story, offering your praise and/or criticism, especially those of you who reviewed weekly (you know who you are!). Your feedback was most instrumental in shaping me as a writer. If you liked my story, please add me to your author alert, so you can see when I post future stories. And now, without further ado, Chapter 16. ~~**

Chapter 16

 _Charlotte_

The wheels of the carriage clattered as we rode towards Hertfordshire. After the bishop rendered his verdict, things with Lady Catherine went back to normal...more or less. It turns out, she soon forgot about her dispute with us, for her anger was incensed by the prospect that her nephew might break off his supposed betrothal to Anne de Bourgh and unite with Miss Elizabeth Bennett. When we did receive a letter stating that Lizzy and Mr. Darcy had in fact gotten engaged, I was thrilled! William and I knew, though, that Lady Catherine would be most unpleasant company for a time, and so we made our escape to stay with my parents until she calmed down and accepted the matter.

Meanwhile, Anne was working hard to get Magdalena House ready to open. The repairs and alterations were nearly finished, and Vanessa, Lily, Selina, and Isabel were already living in their old apartments, though they planned to give them up for new quarters in one of the adjacent buildings, which had also been owned by Mr. Bartleby and became part of Anne's property with the sale. Anne offered the tenants a generous package if they would relinquish their lease and vacate, giving her the space she needed to create classrooms and additional housing, and to turn the old apartments into a dormitory for the new residents they all hoped would arrive.

Anne had asked Vanessa to teach sewing classes when she wasn't managing her store, and I would teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, my best subjects. William would come one day a week to teach history and latin, to those who wished to pursue a profession as a governess. Lily volunteered to be the "dormitory mother", and look after the residents. As for Selina, she got a job as a nursemaid for a wealthy family in _shire that had posted an advertisement in the papers. Her new post would begin after Christmas. We were all sad that she would be leaving, but we wished her best of luck.

Lastly, Anne needed someone to run Magdalena House; she asked Isabel. Isabel was surprised, of course, and didn't want the job at first. But we convinced her that of all the girls, she was the most suited for the job. So, she finally accepted. Isabel had finally made peace with herself over everything that happened, even going so far as to apologize to the poor stablehand, Jesse, who she had used to conceal her crimes. Jesse forgave her, telling her he still loved her, and even asked her to marry him! Isabel replied that she was not ready for that, but gave him permission to court her properly this time.

"What are you thinking about?" William broke my long reverie. I turned my gaze away from the coach window and back towards him.

"Just about everything that's happened recently." I told him.

"Yes, it's been quite an eventful year, hasn't it?" He mused. "Our whole ordeal with Lady Catherine, Bartleby's attacks, his death- not to mention the wonderful things happening at Magdalena House."

"Yes, after all she put us through, Lady Catherine gave up rather easily once she was scolded by Bishop Kingston. Her sudden one-hundred-eighty-degree turn back to normal was so surprising, it was as if nothing had ever occurred. It made me think perhaps there is hope that someday she will change. Then she found a new target in Darcy and Lizzy." I said.

"Well, Lady Catherine will always be Lady Catherine," William shrugged, "but there is always hope for change, as long as she lives. We all are given many chances to repent of our ways, to grow, to improve, all the way until the end of our lives." William's somber comment reminded me of Bartleby's sad ending.

"Do you think Bartleby could have ever repented?" I wondered strangely.

William pondered my question for a moment. "That's a very difficult question. I'm not certain I know the answer to that."

"I know it must seem odd, for me to be sorry for his sake, over how things ended."

"No," William shook his head. "Knowing what a caring person you are, I would be more surprised if you didn't have even a hint of regret over it. As for Bartleby, we will never know whether he believed in the Lord at some point in his life or not; only God could know his heart. He certainly wasn't following the Lord at the end of his life. One thing I do believe, is that our merciful God must have already given him many, many chances to turn from his wicked ways. Because he did not, God eventually removed him from this world to prevent him from causing further harm to those around him. Only the Lord can see the future and know for certain if Bartleby would have ever changed, but I believe that he would not have, and that's why God allowed his death." William concluded.

I nodded, and leaned against William's shoulder for the remainder of the journey.

We stopped at Lucas Lodge just long enough to deposit our trunks, for I was eager to pay Lizzy a visit. My mother was a little miffed that we wouldn't be staying even for tea, but I knew she would forgive me, and we promised to return for dinner that evening.

Lizzy was so happy to see us that she ran to the gate as soon as we approached.

"Charlotte!" She cried, hurrying to embrace me. I picked up the pace ahead of my husband in order to meet my friend.

"Congratulations, dear Lizzy! I'm so pleased to hear you've accepted Darcy's offer. I always thought he was perfect for you."

"Yes, I finally came to my senses and realized I was in love with him, and that only my own stubbornness was holding me back." Lizzy admitted. "But I hear congratulations are in order for you, as well." She patted my stomach gently, causing me to blush.

"My husband was not supposed to mention anything just yet!" I shot a backward glance at him as he caught up to me.

"I'm sorry my dear, but nothing gives me greater pleasure than the knowledge that a new olive branch is about to be added to our family tree." William beamed.

"I keep reminding him, it's a baby, not a new plant for his garden." I laughed.

"What can I say? I am a gardener, after all." My bemused husband added, taking my teasing in stride. "Now, let's get you inside, dearest, where you can sit down and put your feet up. You must not overdo it, for the baby's sake."

"I've been sitting all day in the carriage!" I complained. "I'm not a china doll."

"But it is getting chilly out," Lizzy agreed with William, leading us inside.

The rest of the Bennet family greeted us warmly. Even Mrs. Bennet seemed to have forgotten for the moment that I would someday displace her as mistress of the house. Mr. Darcy was there as well, and my husband immediately went to strike up a conversation with him. Lizzy and I escaped upstairs to her room, where there was peace and quiet.

"How are you feeling lately?" Lizzy asked as we sat on her bed.

"I experience some nausea and occasional vomiting, mainly in the mornings, but nothing too severe." I told her. The discovery of my pregnancy was still recent; less than a week after our visit from Bishop Kingston my monthly flow failed to appear, and not long after the morning ailments began, confirming what I suspected. I had wanted to keep the news a secret until after the first twelve weeks had past, to be certain, but apparently William was unable to keep any good news to himself, for I found out he had mentioned it in his last letter to Mr. Bennet.

"How are the wedding plans coming along?" I changed the subject.

"They are going very well. Mamma is beside herself with joy. Jane and Bingley agreed with Darcy and I that we ought to have a double wedding. The only question is of the date. Mamma thinks we should marry quickly, before Christmas, and of course Darcy is eager to be married as soon as is reasonable. However, Bingley's sister Caroline has taken a trip to the continent for a few months, and he greatly wishes her to be present, so the wedding may be delayed on account of that until after her return."

"In my opinion, you ought to marry when it is convenient for you both, and don't worry about who may or may not be able to attend the wedding." I said.

"Still, we are coming up on winter now. It would be lovely to wait until spring, when the weather is fine for a honeymoon tour." Lizzy commented, closing the topic.

"By the way," Lizzy said, "I'm so sorry for not replying to all your letters. As you know, I was away with my aunt and uncle over a large portion of the summer, and then my mind was preoccupied over Lydia's drama, running off with Wickham and all. Things had just calmed down after their wedding, when Darcy and Bingley returned to Hertfordshire. I just caught up reading the last of your letters and was about to write to you when we got the news of your imminent arrival, and I realized there was no point when my letter would likely miss you in transit." Lizzy finished.

"It's quite alright," I reassured her. "My life has been anything but calm the last several weeks also". I filled her in on all the latest developments.

"I'm pleased that everything turned out alright in the end." Lizzy told me when I completed.

"So am I. Magdalena House will fill such a need for so many women. Miss de Bourgh has already placed advertisements in papers across the country, asking women in need to contact her, and letters are pouring in. The house will likely be open and full of residents by the time we return to Kent."

Lizzy smiled. "I am truly amazed at you, Charlotte. All this began simply because you listened to the still small voice nudging you to reach out to Vanessa. I'm proud of you." With that, Lizzy hugged me.

 _William_

I was happy to let my wife disappear to catch up with Cousin Elizabeth for a spell. Mr. Darcy was already calling upon my cousins when we arrived, and I felt it my utmost duty to congratulate him in person over his happy situation.

"Mr. Darcy, I must tell you how utterly pleased we were to hear the news of your engagement. I congratulate you on the prospect of your marriage, and I am certain, of all the couples in the world, your happiness in matrimonial bliss shall only be surpassed by that which my own wife has brought to me." I grinned.

Mr. Darcy nodded. "Thank you for your heartfelt wishes. Though, I must disagree with you; it is my belief that the happiness Miss Elizabeth brings to me exceeds even yours and Mrs. Collins, although I give you leave to feel otherwise."

"A fair exchange, so long as we each feel ourselves to be the happiest men on earth." I supplied.

Mrs. Bennet happened to be in the room at the time, and hearing all this, said, "I've always thought that Lizzy would make _any_ man the happiest in the world." Her remark seemed directed at me, as if she had forgotten that it was Elizabeth, and not I, who rejected the idea of matrimony between us."

Mr. Darcy saved me from replying. "Be that as it may, I shall be eternally grateful that I am that man, and that I shall be the one to, in turn, make her the happiest woman in the world."

"And I shall be the happiest mother, to see my Jane and Lizzy married off so well." Mrs. Bennet commented, dabbing the corner of her eye with her handkerchief. "Has Mr. Bingley arrived yet?" She said, standing to look out the window. "He is to arrive soon and stay for dinner. No, no sign of him yet. Well, I'd best check with cook to ensure that our dinner will be ready. Will you and Mrs. Collins be staying?" Mrs. Bennet asked me. I replied that we would not, and then she left us to see to the kitchen.

As the others were all absent from the room for the present, Mr. Darcy took the opportunity to speak to me privately.

"Mr. Collins, I understand you have had a great deal of trouble with my aunt lately."

I presumed he heard all this from Cousin Elizabeth, to whom Charlotte had been writing. "Yes, we have, though things are now mended and her attention has been turned towards you." I said.

"Indeed." Darcy replied. "Though fear not for my sake, Aunt Catherine will eventually forgive me on account of my being family, and if she does not, I shall not consider it any great loss. But my intention is to reassure you that, should you have any trouble with my aunt in the future, I should be happy to support you. I myself cannot currently offer you a living, as the one on my estate is occupied by a man still in his prime who is unlikely to resign from his post. But should Lady Catherine feel inclined to revoke her patronage, I plan that I should purchase the parsonage on Rosings Estate from her, or another suitable home in the parish, and convert it into a parsonage for you."

A sudden realization dawned on me. "It was you who was the anonymous benefactor who pledged to support us!" I exclaimed.

"I trust you shall keep this a secret between you and your wife. I should not like my aunt to discover that I have schemed against her in any way, but I felt you should have the benefit of knowing your livelihood is secure so long as I am alive to make it happen." Darcy added.

"Sir, I can never thank you enough for your tremendous generosity and support of us." I began to tear up. "After all my wife and I have gone through this year, to know that we can continue the Lord's work that He began through us, without any fear for our security and happiness, is a most wondrous blessing. Your magnanimous demonstration is more than I could have hoped for. Truly, you were meant to be a Duke or an Earl or some other station befitting your excellence, your kindheartedness, your-"

"A simple thanks is all I require." Darcy cut me off, embarrassed by my lavish praise.

I nodded, still feeling a little overwhelmed.

"It was my cousin Anne who related to me your troubles," Mr. Darcy revealed. "She wrote to me, begging for my help, which I heartily promised, provided of course that I maintain my anonymity. I am very pleased to see her finally standing on her own two feet, and making a life for herself apart from her mother's shadow. She will make a fine mistress of Rosings one day."

"I couldn't agree with you more, sir." I restrained myself from launching into a lengthy veneration of Miss de Bourgh's fine qualities, as well as comparing them to Lady Catherine, in whom I found much fault these days, and who would need time to regain the amount of respect I once held for her.

It was not long before Mr. Bingley arrived. The household returned from their various activities to greet him, and as his friendly and amiable manner pleased everybody, Darcy and I were not alone again, for all members were eager to converse with him in the sitting room where we had kept ourselves. Dinner would be served soon. Thus, Charlotte and I finally excused ourselves to return to Lucas Lodge, knowing Lady Lucas would be expecting us, and we had delayed her spending time with her daughter long enough.

As we walked, I shared with Charlotte who our secret benefactor had turned out to be. Like I, she was pleased to learn that we had a deeply loyal supporter in reserve, should our mercurial patroness again threaten us on a whim.

Noticing where we were, I stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Charlotte asked me.

"Do you know where we are?"

She laughed. "Certainly. We are on the lane leading to Lucas Lodge."

I shook my head. "No, I mean this exact spot. This is where I proposed to you, last November. That tree right there is how I know." I pointed to an elm beside the lane.

Charlotte looked at the tree I mentioned. "I hadn't realized this was the particular spot. Funny, to think it's not even been one year yet since then. So much has happened. So many trials and tears."

"But plenty of good things too, wouldn't you agree?" I reached out to pat the slight bump on Charlotte's belly, still unnoticeable to most people.

"Yes," she agreed with a smile. "Some _very_ good things. Besides becoming a mother soon, I found my purpose, helping lost women find their way to new life. I certainly never expected my life would turn out this way when I agreed to marry you."

"Are you happy you did?" I asked.

"Happy I married you?" Charlotte returned. "Yes. I can say that I am." She pulled me close, and kissed me passionately."

"What about you? Are you pleased that you married me?" Charlotte asked.

"Well, that I'll have to think about…" I teased. Then grinning, I said, "Yes, I am undeniably glad that you are my wife! My dear, amiable, sweet Charlotte! My morning star, my ray of sunshine!" I grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around.

Charlotte laughed, then cried out, "think of the baby! Put me down!" I instantly set her down.

"Oh dear, I haven't hurt him have I?"

"Him?" Charlotte asked.

"Just hoping!" I smiled.

"I'm sure he- or she!- is fine." Charlotte answered. "It's still early, after all."

"Nevertheless, I must not be so careless." I reminded myself aloud.

As we reached Lucas Lodge, Charlotte commented, "you know, I think I will enjoy balancing motherhood and ministry."

"It will be quite a challenge. Are sure you're up to it?" I asked.

"With the Lord's help, I think so. After all, I am the parson's wife." Charlotte smiled.

The End BONUS FEATURES Q & A with the author "Phantomballerina"

Q: Who was your favorite character to write?

A: Of the main characters, Charlotte is my favorite. I've always felt like her situation in life gave her a sort of fierce determination to change her fate. That's why she initially goes after Mr. Collins in the novel; she wasn't going to settle for being dependent on her parents or brothers her whole life. From there, it was easy for me to channel her determination into a worthy cause- in this case, the plight of the four prostitutes she befriends.

Q: Who was the most difficult character for you to write?

A: I'd have to say William. He's got this personality that fans have come to expect- over-talkative, awkward, a bit nervous, too eager to please others, especially those he considers his betters, fearful about other's perception of him. I wanted to show his character development, other sides of him, how he matures during the story. But at the end of the day, he's still Mr. Collins; I can't take him too far out of character, or he won't be the man that Austen created. So that was challenging for me to balance those elements.

Q: Who was your favorite side-character?

A: Aunt Violet was one I added late in the story. Originally, I never intended to do more than reference William's having an aunt from time to time. But I needed to give William something to do during the timeframe that Charlotte and Vanessa were playing "detective", and I felt he could use a mentor figure to assuage his fears about being fired and displaced from his parish. I had a lot more fun than I expected creating the plucky old lady-who had a surprise connection to Lady Catherine in her younger days! (an idea for another fanfiction?) In hindsight, I wish I had introduced Aunt Violet earlier, as she would have been entertaining to write and read more about.

Q: What was your inspiration for the story?

A: I originally planned to have Charlotte be the "rebound girl", the salve for William's broken heart over Elizabeth, and have him continue to pine for Elizabeth until he realizes he's actually in love with Charlotte. But in the end, I felt that that character portrayal of William was too harsh for my liking, so I changed it to be the misunderstanding between them that occurred in chapters 6 & 7, and made the main plot center around Charlotte's friendship with Vanessa and the other girls. The "rebound girl" story was based partly off my own experiences, when a couple I was friends with broke up, and even though I was closer friends with the girl, I took the guy's side and started hanging out with him instead of her. He and I eventually fell for each other and dated for a time. In fact, the scene in chapter 6 between Lizzy and Charlotte talking about William was also based off that relationship. I was having lunch with another mutual friend, and she heard I was dating that guy, who she found incredibly annoying (as I did when I first met him). I told her, "he sort of grows on you", to which she replied, "like a fungus?" So yeah, that really did happen! He was a really sweet guy, but unlike William and Charlotte, we turned out not to be meant for each other though.

Q: What was your favorite scene in the story?

A: That's a hard question, because I have a lot of favorite scenes. The Song of Solomon love scene is probably one of the most beautiful, in my opinion, as well as the one where Isabel turns to God. I also wrote some scenes purely for fun, such as the one where William gives Charlotte her wedding ring, and the Proverbs 31 scene, in which I managed to sneak some innuendos.

Q: Can you tell me a little about yourself personally?

A: Sure! I'm currently a stay-at-home mom with two kids- a daughter, and a son. I'm married to a wonderful husband who's an electrical engineer. We live in Texas. Before my son was born, I was a professional harpist and harp instructor. I quit both of those a year ago, so I could devote more energy to my family (but I still play my harp for enjoyment!) I've often dabbled with writing in my spare time. The Parson's Wife is my first completed full-length story.

Q: What's your favorite Pride & Prejudice adaptation?

A: Well, you've probably already guessed from reading this story, that the 2005 film with Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFayden is my favorite. That was really my forray into the world of Jane Austen. I loved the movie so much, I immediately went and read the book, and all Austen's other major works. I've since seen the 1995 A & E Pride & Prejudice, the 1980 BBC version, The Lizzy Bennet Diaries, and films that were inspired by P&P, such as Bridget Jones's Diary, all of which I liked. But the 2005 one remains the best, in my opinion. :-) My versions of William and Charlotte were loosely based on the portrayals done by Tom Hollander and Claudie Blakley.

Q: What will you write next, now that The Parson's Wife is finished?

A: I have several projects I am considering. One of my readers suggested I return to a P&P fic I started about ten years ago, titled "Adversity and Felicity." My husband, however, encourages me to resume the children's series I began writing about a young girl who dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, based on stories from when I danced ballet growing up. At any rate, I hope to share more of my writing with the world in the future!

Credits and Disclaimers:

I do not own the film Pride & Prejudice (2005). It is the property of Focus Features, and elements unique to its adaptation are not my intellectual property. Scenes from that film quoted or reimagined, or characters based upon their portrayal, are purely for entertainment purposes only. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought without express permission prior. References to that film's adaptation of the novel are made purely in homage to their role in introducing me to one of history's greatest authors of all time.

The religious views presented in the novel are my own. I respect the religious and intellectual views of others, and do not presume to force my own opinions onto others. If anyone disagrees with the beliefs described in the story, they are free to accept them as fiction. Anyone who has questions about my faith, or wants to know more about the God I believe in, please contact me via private message and I will be more than happy to discuss with you.

Many thanks to pastor and author Tommy Nelson, fanfiction author Laura Schiller, and singer Chelsea Moon, for their inspirations. Also to Kathy from TSO handcrafted jewelry (tso dot etsy dot com), who created the ring I modeled Charlotte's after, and Venice Clay Artists, who were my visual source for the clock that was Lady Catherine's birthday present. (Links to both items below).

Www dot etsy dot com slash listing/162335364/14k-gold-vintage-style-band-floral?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=antique%20gold%20wedding%20band%20floral&ref=sr_gallery_35

Www dot veniceclayartists dot com slash


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